20 Feb 2019

As at September 2018, there were 120 illegal bill boards and 308 legal bill boards in Gaborone owned by 14 companies.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said that none of the legal bill boards in Gaborone were owned by youth companies.

He noted that some of the illegal bill boards were owned by youth companies.

Mr Autlwetse said some bill board owners ignored the legal statutes that guided and controlled outdoor advertising in the city, adding that in most cases they erected bill boards on weekends and at night.

In that regard, he said companies that erected illegal bill boards had been served with enforcement notices. 

The minister further stated that Gaborone City Council held consultations with industry players on October 9 and December 14, 2018 to review the guidelines to curb the erection of illegal bill boards.

He said the guidelines were currently being finalised with plans to have them in use by April 1, 2019.

Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa had asked the minister to state the total number of illegal bill boards in Gaborone, and to state the companies that owned bill boards in Gaborone and the number owned by each company.

He also wanted to know the number of companies owned by youth as well as the action that would be taken against companies that erected illegal bill boards.

Furthermore, MP Nkaigwa wanted the minister to state reasons the number of illegal bill boards continued to increase in the city despite the existence of bye-laws which regulated the erection of bill boards. ENDS