THE simple task of ‘demolishing an illegal structure’ proved far more of a challenge for a municipal task force on Thursday when they encountered a bigger problem than expected.
Accompanied by CRG Security and traffic officers, and under the watchful eye of a police patrol crew, they arrived at the Richards Bay taxi plaza in Bullion Boulevard ready to routinely flatten the unlawful structure and prepared for any potential outside interference while engaged in the task.
However, the ‘structure’ turned out to be a massive billboard, not easily ‘demolished’ without cranes and heavy duty lifting equipment.
It is erected on a huge steel pillar, bolted onto a concrete base, the entire structure reaching some 30 metres in height, with the advertising board stretching some 25 metres wide and eight metres high.
Erected without consent and without as much as an application having been submitted, removal of the billboard will provide quite a challenge for the authorities.
Those responsible for its erection were given seven days to take it down and having failed to comply they will now face the substantial cost of the dismantling in addition to other applicable penalties.
