Municipal by-laws relaxed for election campaigns

ELECTION times have arrived in South Africa and political parties are trying hard to convince and attract the voters. In almost every area volunteers of several political parties are seen doing door-to-door campaigns.

They even get to the areas they never entered since their last election campaigns in 2016. It is a common knowledge to some of the communities especially those who lack certain services that they get more visits from politicians more than before.

More food parcels and promises of some sorts from politicians from different formations will be witnessed more than before as way of trying to get sympathy from the poor voters to give them a chance.

Street lights in the villages and towns are packed with political posters bearing faces of the leaders. That takes place as part of their strategy to attract voters and make them to be familiar with the faces to be voted for during the elections.

However, the municipal by-laws states that those who want to advertise on their street poles are liable to pay a certain amount of money. The party must as well state the commencing day as well as the last day of campaign/advertising. That comes with a price as part of the municipality's way of generating ravenue and to control the influx of illegal advertising.

None of the political parties have done so and their posters are all over the street lights with no municipal sticker as proof of payment of such posters. They sometimes cry faul when other parties remove and place theirs on the same spot.

In the City of Polokwane, Limpopo almost every street light has more than two posters from different parties. Most poster witnessed are for the African National Congress and Economic Freedom Fighters followed by Democratic Alliance.

Polokwane Municipal Spokesman Thipa Selala clarified the reasons for the political parties not to pay during their campaigns when elections approach.

"Political parties are exempted from paying for poster advert space on municipal street poles during elections. The parties can hang posters within 90 days to elections and they must remove them within 14 days after the day of elections. Ahead of each election, the Electoral Commission writes to South African Local Government Association (SALGA) requesting it to engage the municipalities to relax or suspend municipal by-laws. That is to allow the erecting of the election posters for general elections to promote campaigning and information to voters," said Selala.

- Raphophi Media