Murewa Rural District Council (Advertising) By-laws, 2024

Murewa Rural District Council has new advertising by-laws, approved by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works. They are the same text as the Chitungwiza advertising by-laws published six weeks earlier in S.I. 3 of 2024.

No one may place, exhibit or display an advertisement on a road or public place without council permission — posters, banners, placards, billboards, notices and devices, whether stationary, on a building or perimeter wall, on a sandwich board or vehicle, or on a movable device not in transit. Exceptions cover normal business advertising painted on or fixed to an omnibus or commercial vehicle, a sandwich board or vehicle in transit between its usual place and an approved display site, and advertising already permitted under the Regional, Town and Country Planning (Advertisements) Regulations, 1976 or an approved local plan or scheme. Separately, no advert may be erected without paying the advertisement fees council prescribes by order.

Advertising is banned on electricity standards, parking meter standards, trees, traffic signs, bridges, road furniture, traffic circles and traffic islands controlled by council; anywhere causing a hazard to drivers or pedestrians; anywhere causing a nuisance to neighbours or the public; and anywhere council prohibits. Local event notices may go on a council poster board, and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission election and referendum material may go on roadside trees and on portable boards where no hazard is caused.

Applications are in writing setting out the adverts, their number and location. Council may grant permission with conditions or refuse with reasons, cap the number of signs, and revoke permission or change conditions at any time, in which case the applicant must remove the adverts. Council may charge an application fee and take a deposit against removal costs.

Event advertising must be removed within 24 hours of the event ending. Council may remove adverts that are unapproved, non-compliant, dangerous, over-bright, projecting over a council street, or behind on billboard fees, after 24 hours' written notice, and recover the removal cost from the owner. Obstructing a council official attracts a fine. Adverts that are immoral, offensive, likely to promote unlawful behaviour, likely to tarnish the council's image or containing hate language are banned, as are oversized, unapproved-material or uncertified signs.

Two things readers should note. No fine amount is set anywhere in the by-laws — contravention attracts "a fine specified in an order of council", and the advertising fees are also left to a council order, so both must be obtained from the council. And there is a drafting slip in the printed instrument: the operative words correctly cite section 90 of the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13], but the chapter reference in the header reads [CAP. 29:15], which is the Urban Councils Act — the statute that applies to Chitungwiza, from which this text was evidently taken.