Natalie Nyathi,
Business Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bulawayo City Council (BCC), has drawn up a new by-law which prohibits free advertising on the city’s public spaces, with perpetrators facing up to three months imprisonment or a fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citizens are expected to seek authority from the council before pasting adverts on public spaces such as poles and trees states the new by- law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zim GBC News established this through City Council’s chamber minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the Oxford dictionary, by-laws are rules or laws governing the internal affairs of an organisation. They are commonly known as a set of rules established by an organisation so as to regulate itself as allowed or provided by some higher authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A council has the power to make by-laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Council has been granted power by the new law to remove the adverts if deemed inappropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new by-law provides a provision for exemptions when it comes to information on electoral issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister of Local Government and Public Works Hon. July Moyo approved the local authority\u2019s 2022 Advertising By-laws which among other things criminalises the posting of advertorial materials in public quads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and political parties will be required to first seek permission from council before putting political materials in public spaces within the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minutes read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is hereby notified that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works has, in terms of section 229 of the Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15], approved the following by-laws made by the City of Bulawayo: These by-laws may be cited as the Advertising By-laws, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No person shall, without the permission of the council, place, exhibit or display, or cause to be placed, exhibited or displayed, upon a road or public place any advertisement, whether\u2014 a) in a stationary position; or b) building or perimeter wall; or c) on a sandwich board, vehicle, or other movable device”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo person shall display an advert that-is (a) is immoral or offensive; (b) is likely to promote unlawful behaviour; (c) is likely to tarnish the image of the council and (d) contains hate language,\u201d read the minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BCC also said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny person who obstructs an authorised official to exercise his or her duties and contravenes these by-laws shall be guilty of an offense and liable to a fine not exceeding level four and imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or both such fine and imprisonment,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the new by-law the council has the power to restrict the period to paste the advert, if it deems necessary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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