Tshwane EFF demands removal of ‘President Ramaphosa, arrest Putin’ billboard

A billboard on a Pretoria highway calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked controversy, with the EFF calling for it to be removed.

US-based global non-profit campaigning organisation, Avaaz, put up billboards on the N1 and R21 highways between Johannesburg and Pretoria in May, calling for the arrest of Putin should he visit the country for the Brics summit in August.

“President Ramaphosa, arrest Putin,” the billboard reads.

The EFF alleged the billboard infringes on municipal bylaws, claiming the contents were not approved by the metro.

“We checked with the department of economic development in the city and they said they have never had an application for the contents of that billboard. In terms of the bylaws, all billboards, whether corporate or government, have to be approved,” EFF regional chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu told TimesLIVE. 

Attempts to contact the municipality for comment on the claims and the billboard were unsuccessful at the time of publishing.

According to municipal bylaws,  written consent from the municipality must be obtained before any sign is erected.

While the bylaws do not clearly stipulate whether content has to be approved before a billboard is put up, they do state advertising content may not be suggestive of any sexual derogatory messaging against either gender.

“No signs advertising an alcohol beverage brand or product will be placed within 500m of schools, community centres and churches,” the bylaws also read.

Ramabodu said he believed the billboard would incite violence as people have different views about Putin's arrest.

“There are many leaders who came to this country without being harassed like that. Former US presidents Barack Obama and George Bush are accused of war crimes but they were not treated like that,” he said.

Asked whether the EFF was not infringing on freedom of expression, Ramabodu said he believed the billboard was provocative to those who are against the arrest of Putin and the organisation was misusing the right.

“Freedom of expression doesn’t mean you should incite violence. Whoever tries to arrest Putin can cause war in the country. We are preventing it from turning ugly.”

He said the party was not against debate about the Ukraine-Russia war.

Ramabodu accused the DA of funding the installation of the billboards but Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink denied this.

“The claim the city spent hundreds of rand to erect the posters is fake. Tshwane has more pressing matters than Putin. If we were to put up a billboard it would be to encourage the residents of Tshwane to pay their bills or to report illegal connections,” said Brink.

Here are reactions from social media: