HIGH COURT NULLIFIES MUNICIPALITY’S BILLBOARDS TENDER

By Staff Reporter

WELKOM-The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein has invalidated a tender awarded to a local company by the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to administer outdoor advertising in Welkom and surrounding towns in the province’s goldfields area.

The municipality itself had approached the court seeking an order declaring the contract it had entered with Media News (Pty) Ltd on May 18, 2018 as unlawful, null and void.

Under the service delivery agreement, the company was to be responsible for the administration, control, monitoring and development of outdoor advertising on behalf of Matjhabeng.

Media News was also tasked with the implementation of the municipality’s by-laws relating to outdoor advertising and outdoor advertising policies and the collection of monies from advertisers.

The application was enrolled unopposed.

In granting the relief sought, Judge Pitso Molitsoane noted and condemned the municipality’s failure to seek the relief claimed as soon as reasonably possible after the discovery of the unlawfulness of the appointment of the respondent.

He went on to order that the respondent be immediately and forthwith interdicted and restrained from performing or carrying out the functions outlined in the service delivery agreement signed on 18 May, 2018.

The judgment was handed down on 19 May and there was no order as to costs.