Gwanda launches blitz on illegal billboards

GWANDA municipality has launched an operation to remove all invalid, dilapidated and unpaid for billboards to keep the town smart and ensure compliance.

The development comes a few weeks after the local authority in December last year challenged billboard owners to rehabilitate the billboards or face stricter measures.

In a notice, Gwanda town clerk Priscilla Nkala said all billboards must be approved by the council to remain in place or to be installed.

“This serves to inform all stakeholders and the general public that the Municipality of Gwanda is conducting an exercise to remove all invalid, dilapidated and unpaid billboards within Gwanda Town,” partly read the notice.

“The public is advised to renew their outstanding billboard payments within a period of 14 days.

All billboards must be approved by the Municipality of Gwanda.”

In December last year council asked billboard owners to renovate their infrastructure to meet council standards by December 31.

Last month, the municipality, which is currently battling to improve service delivery, also challenged ratepayers to settle their bills to help it meet many of its obligations which include paying water supplies from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), which threatened to disconnect raw water supplies to the Matabeleland South capital in October last year due to accumulating debts.

At the time, council owed Zinwa ZWL$1,3 billion for raw water supplies.

In turn, Gwanda council threatened to intensify its water disconnection to defaulting ratepayers who reportedly owe the council ZWL$5,1 billion.