Residents take a stand against theft of local flora
MELVILLE – Beautiful aloes are not up for grabs.
What was meant to be an early morning drive on 16 June turned into something quite unusual. As Susanne Schneider and her partner drove along Hillcrest Road with the aloe gardens and waterfall to their left, they noticed a branded van parked on the side of the road. Both doors to the van were open. They could see one giant aloe already inside the van and a man pulling on another, ostensibly to take it as well. According to the witnesses there was nobody else in the surrounding gardens.
As they turned their vehicle around and pulled up alongside the van, they asked the driver if he was aware that what he was committing was a criminal offence. They were unable to get a coherent response from him. At that point the second man climbed into the van, muttering the excuse that he didn’t know it was a crime, leaving the damaged aloe on the side of the road and then driving away.
A case of theft general has been opened with the Rosebank SAPS and the docket has been transferred to the Brixton SAPS where an investigating officer will be assigned. Despite repeated attempts to reach the owners of the company in question, no official spokesperson was available for comment. One employee of the establishment, who refused to be named, has stated that the business will replant the aloes on 24 June.
