Harare Council Faces Scrutiny Over Billboards in Major Revenue Scandal

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume exposes major revenue losses from unregulated billboards, prompting a push for a digital registry, stricter enforcement and a cleanup of the city’s outdoor-advertising sector (image source)

Harare — Mayor Jacob Mafume has sounded the alarm over what he termed a “major revenue scandal,” raising fresh concerns about significant losses from billboard advertising across the capital. The issue surfaced during a full council sitting at Town House last week, where Mafume pressed the finance department for clear revenue figures and accused officials of enabling systemic fraud within the outdoor-advertising sector. Council accountant Benjamin Nhukarume acknowledged that billboard income was “not clear” and described collections as “insignificant,” prompting sharp criticism from councillors. Mafume warned that the leakages are substantial and said recovered revenue could fund urgent improvements to water, sanitation and road infrastructure.

For years, Harare’s billboard industry has operated in a regulatory grey zone, with numerous advertising structures erected without proper permits and fee enforcement inconsistently applied. Internal audits have previously flagged millions of dollars in potential annual earnings that never reached municipal coffers. Mafume said the absence of a central register and weak oversight have allowed operators to exploit loopholes and avoid payment. “Billboards of varying sizes and standards crowd intersections, often obstructing sightlines and creating urban clutter, with no clear public record of which is legally sanctioned,” he said, directly blaming council officials for failing to implement stronger controls. He also criticised some committees for blocking regulatory proposals on the basis of “phantom costs,” enabling continued noncompliance.

Highlighting the sector’s vast untapped potential, Mafume cited an example showing that advertising at a single stadium could generate nearly US$500,000 per month. To stem the losses, he called for an urgent digital overhaul: a centralised and fully auditable system to track every billboard, its owner and its payment status. “No one knows how many billboards we have. I want a system so that you don’t blame each other. The system will tell us that this billboard is not paid up… we go and cut it,” he said. Council officials have been directed to develop a comprehensive reform plan, including a full audit of existing structures, a digital registry linked to payment and enforcement modules, tighter permitting protocols and targeted operations to remove illegal billboards. Officials also indicated plans to review contracts with outdoor-advertising firms and strengthen penalties for noncompliance.

Urban planners and road-safety advocates welcomed the mayor’s intervention, noting that unregulated billboards deprive the city of vital revenue while creating visual clutter and obstructing driver sightlines. Civil-society groups urged transparency in the audit process and recommended public access to the digital registry to prevent future irregularities. Advertising industry stakeholders cautioned that while enforcement is necessary, it should be paired with clear communication and a reasonable transition period to allow legitimate operators to regularise their sites. They argued that combining digital tracking, fair fees and predictable enforcement would stabilise the sector and restore investor confidence.

As Harare pushes to tighten oversight, the council faces a test of both capacity and political will. The effectiveness of the reforms will depend on swift implementation of the digital registry, consistent enforcement and transparent reporting to ensure that recovered funds are channelled into the essential city services residents urgently require.