The City of Cape Town is in the process of drafting an operational strategy for the control of graffiti in Cape Town.
An integral part of the strategy will be the establishment of a specialised Graffiti Control Unit and a new graffiti by-law, which is presently in the public participation phase.
“The new graffiti by-law will be the ‘teeth’ of the dedicated Graffiti Control Unit provided for in the strategy, and we will thus have the unit up and running when the by-law is adopted,” said Anton Visser, Strategy Manager: Safety and Security.
According to a report prepared for the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee, the incidence of graffiti has increased exponentially in the city in recent years, and continues to grow.
Although City directorates and City Improvement Districts (CIDs) are trying to remove graffiti at their own cost, these efforts do not include enforcement action, and therefore can’t keep pace with the spread of graffiti.
The report notes that most graffiti has nothing to do with art, and is associated with elements of crime and drug abuse, especially ‘tagging’ – where a graffiti ‘artist’ attempts to gain recognition, or where certain gangs mark their ‘territory.’
“Graffiti threatens the aesthetics of Cape Town and the City has to spend thousands each year towards cleaning up operations,” the report states.
“Graffiti can cause unsightliness of property, which invites the further spread of graffiti and other forms of anti-social behaviour, which has the inevitable result of transforming the affected area into a breeding ground for crime and disorder.”
The draft graffiti strategy consists of the following elements:
- Rapid removal of graffiti, which is one of the best deterrents
- Holding graffiti vandals accountable by keeping graffiti databases, creating prevention patrols, enforcing the graffiti by-law, and instituting a reward programme
- Engaging the community by rapidly responding to graffiti removal requests, consultations, providing DIY clean-up kits, and launching special clean-up projects
- Education aimed at preventing graffiti by educating potential offenders and suppliers of spray paint
- Diversion the interests and energy of likely offenders into positive alternatives such as mural and other creative projects
According to Cllr JP Smith, chairperson of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee, fighting graffiti is an “ongoing battle.”
It has been estimated that an effective graffiti control programme could cost the City over R500,000 each year (excluding human resources and operational costs).
Smith said that some of the money allocated to cleaning up graffiti will be given to NGOs that work with the city and provide employment to homeless people. “This has been done as a pilot in Sea Point for the last four years and has been very successful. It is a win-win situation for everybody, and even when the graffiti is gone, they are on standby so that it can’t return. We hope to expand this on a city-wide basis.”
Smith pointed out that there is a difference between murals by legitimate graffiti artists and tagging, and went on to explain that there is the possibility of opening up a space or ‘wall of fame’ for graffiti artists to create mural art.
The bylaw will provide law enforcement departments with the necessary tools to clamp down on graffiti vandals, and will include civil prosecutions, which will be easier than criminal suits. The City will also claim the costs of cleaning up graffiti from these individuals.
A toll free ‘graffiti hotline’ will also be introduced, so that residents can report new graffiti. Rewards will also be offered for information on graffiti vandals.