Peter Tanyanyiwa

Alliance Media recently finished the removal of a billboard structure it had built above a water line along Borrowdale road, following the pipe burst under the weight of the billboard structure depriving residents of Hatcliffe, Philadelphia, Borrowdale West and Greystone Park their right to access water.

This development has escalated Harare residents’s calls for the removal of half of the billboards in the capital city.

Many residents feel that there are too many billboards, with some of them disrupting essential supplies such as water.

“We need to get rid of at least half the billboards in the city. There’s far too many of them such that they have become a distraction from more important road signs and an eyesore on the landscape.

“The point of a billboard is to stand out, but when there’s so many it loses its marketing impact. The city can find better ways of making revenue,” said Delight Giga.

Other residents however felt that the Municipality are playing a blame game because they are the ones who authorized the construction of these structures that are now hindering service delivery.

“Procedure says when any service provider or business wants to set up anything on council land they have to get Wayleaves/Site map which details the state of underground works which then guides engineers on where to set up their structures. So don’t twist us we not stupid. You to blame, this was certainly approved by you city council,” said Markos Davias.

“Where was the City Council when it was erected? How many more such instances are around the city? Why is it now just an Alliance Media problem when council has been collecting fees from the company for the same billboard?

“Are you not the ones who approve these billboards? You make it sound as if they built an illegal structure,” questioned Tinashe Musere.

“The city must have blueprints for all its underground structures, obviously someone was sleeping on their job and didn’t bother to inspect the proposed location of that structure, that’s gross incompetence.

“Who approved the structure the construction of the structure and what is being done to hold the person accountable,” said Shelton Kwashi.

“It seems Council want to put the blame on them as you keep point this out. They got approval to erect it there from City of Harare, didn’t they? If not then there is a serious problem in your system,” added Ngoni Nyamuranga.

Residents claimed that many problems that they have been facing as far as service delivery is concerned are manageable and if there are many such faults where companies construct structures on top of water lines they should be corrected.

Residents say that the number of billboards should be reduced by at least half.