A Cove Rock guesthouse owner is seething because his advertising signs along the R72 have once again been earmarked for removal despite being on private property.
Pieter Swanepoel, who owns Shabanga Guest Farm, said he felt “singled out” because other advertising signs remained in place, while he was losing business because his signage has repeatedly been removed.
He said signs he erected to direct motorists to his guesthouse had been consistently removed by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral).
“But three weeks ago I put a series of signs on private farm land on the R72 between Winterstrand and Cove Rock, yet on Friday I saw they were all slapped with illegal advertising stickers that say I must remove my signs in 21 days.
“I have taken the time to drive to Port Elizabeth and found not a single board with notification to be removed and there are about 250 billboards,” Swanepoel said.
But Sanral southern region manager Mbulelo Peterson said: “Notices to remove the illegal signs were handed to the owners of the other signs, but to date they have not responded to our request. Another notice will be issued to them and should they fail to respond, we will remove the signs.”
Swanepoel said the signage saga dated back to 2011, when he erected signboards similar to estate agent boards at the turn-off to Cove Rock.
“They left the estate agents signs but mine were removed.”
Two years later Swanepoel pitched a 3m x 1.8m advertising board at the same spot – and another on a gravel road between Winterstrand and Cove Rock at a cost of R28000.
“They lasted two months and then they cut them down, loaded them up and drove away. I was not allowed to keep them.”
Swanepoel put another sign up on Marine Drive 9km after the R72 turn-off last year.
“It was municipal property, not Sanral property this time. I just wanted people to find my place, but after six months it was cut down with a chainsaw and left lying in the grass,” he said.
Swanepoel said since then occupancy had “dropped dramatically” and he had been forced to retrench 16 employees. He said in the short time he had put up his signs on private farmland, his 160-seater restaurant had been fully booked for Sunday lunch.
Sanral’s Peterson said Swanepoel’s signs had been issued with removal stickers because according to the National Roads Act, advertisements were not permitted on national roads, nor could they be visible from the national roads unless they complied with requirements as per the Regulations on Outdoor Advertising laws of 2000.
Peterson said applications for Sanral’s brown tourist directional signs could be applied for by e-mailing gouwsj@nra.co.za with approvals usually depending on the facility’s grading. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Business hit hard by advertising signs row
Pieter Swanepoel, who owns Shabanga Guest Farm, said he felt “singled out” because other advertising signs remained in place, while he was losing business because his signage has repeatedly been removed.
He said signs he erected to direct motorists to his guesthouse had been consistently removed by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral).
“But three weeks ago I put a series of signs on private farm land on the R72 between Winterstrand and Cove Rock, yet on Friday I saw they were all slapped with illegal advertising stickers that say I must remove my signs in 21 days.
“I have taken the time to drive to Port Elizabeth and found not a single board with notification to be removed and there are about 250 billboards,” Swanepoel said.
But Sanral southern region manager Mbulelo Peterson said: “Notices to remove the illegal signs were handed to the owners of the other signs, but to date they have not responded to our request. Another notice will be issued to them and should they fail to respond, we will remove the signs.”
Swanepoel said the signage saga dated back to 2011, when he erected signboards similar to estate agent boards at the turn-off to Cove Rock.
“They left the estate agents signs but mine were removed.”
Two years later Swanepoel pitched a 3m x 1.8m advertising board at the same spot – and another on a gravel road between Winterstrand and Cove Rock at a cost of R28000.
“They lasted two months and then they cut them down, loaded them up and drove away. I was not allowed to keep them.”
Swanepoel put another sign up on Marine Drive 9km after the R72 turn-off last year.
“It was municipal property, not Sanral property this time. I just wanted people to find my place, but after six months it was cut down with a chainsaw and left lying in the grass,” he said.
Swanepoel said since then occupancy had “dropped dramatically” and he had been forced to retrench 16 employees. He said in the short time he had put up his signs on private farmland, his 160-seater restaurant had been fully booked for Sunday lunch.
Sanral’s Peterson said Swanepoel’s signs had been issued with removal stickers because according to the National Roads Act, advertisements were not permitted on national roads, nor could they be visible from the national roads unless they complied with requirements as per the Regulations on Outdoor Advertising laws of 2000.
Peterson said applications for Sanral’s brown tourist directional signs could be applied for by e-mailing gouwsj@nra.co.za with approvals usually depending on the facility’s grading. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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