Marondera Municipal Council Advertising By-laws, 2024

The Minister of Local Government and Public Works has approved advertising by-laws made by Marondera Municipal Council under section 229 of the Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15]. They cover any poster, banner, placard, billboard, notice or advertising device, on or off a wall.

No one may place or display an advertisement on a road or public place without council permission — whether stationary, on a building or perimeter wall, on a sandwich board or vehicle, or on any other movable device not in transit. Three exceptions apply: normal business advertising painted on or fixed to a bus or commercial vehicle; a sandwich board or vehicle in transit between where it is ordinarily kept and an approved display place; and advertising already permitted under the Regional, Town and Country Planning (Advertisements) Regulations, 1976 (R.G.N. 917 of 1976) or under a local plan or approved scheme. Separately, no advertisement may be erected without paying the advertising fees the council prescribes by order.

Some positions are barred outright: on electricity standards, parking meter standards, trees, traffic signs, bridges, road furniture, traffic circles or traffic islands belonging to the council; anywhere that creates a hazard or obstruction to drivers or pedestrians; anywhere that is a nuisance to neighbours or the public; and on any building, land, road or public place the council has prohibited. The council may, however, permit local event advertising on a council poster board, and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission advertising for elections and referendums on roadside trees and on portable boards in safe stationary positions.

Applications are in writing with the details, number and intended location of the advertisements. The council may grant permission with conditions or refuse with reasons, may cap the number of signs on any building, land or road, and may revoke a permission or alter its conditions at any time — with removal then falling to the applicant. It may charge an application fee and take a deposit against the cost of removal.

Event advertising must come down within 24 hours of the event ending. The council may itself remove advertisements erected without approval, not complying with the by-laws, dangerous to traffic or the public, so brightly illuminated as to disturb neighbours, projecting over a council street, or in arrears on billboard fees. It must give the owner 24 hours' written notice to remove or alter, and if the owner does not comply the council removes it and bills the owner for the cost. Advertisements must not be immoral, offensive, likely to promote unlawful behaviour, likely to tarnish the council's image or contain hate language, and must meet council-approved size, materials and certification.

The critical practical gap: the by-laws set no monetary figures at all. Section 9 says a contravention makes a person liable to 'a fine specified in an order of council', and advertising and application fees are likewise to be prescribed by council order. Anyone advertising in Marondera must obtain the current council order to know what they will pay or be fined. Two drafting slips are visible: section 6 tells applicants to apply for permission 'for the purposes of section 4 or 5' when the permission requirement sits in section 3, and sections 7(5) and 9 refer to 'these regulations' rather than these by-laws.