Residents who frequent the Greenhills Stadium were shocked to discover that most of the large Bluegum trees on the stadium grounds have been cut down.
Herald Editor, Johan Meyer, discovered workers cutting down trees in the stadium grounds when he visited the stadium for an unrelated story, but, thinking that the municipality is probably planning to clean up that area within the grounds for whatever reason, left without giving it a second thought.
The next day, however, the Herald was inundated with calls from upset residents.
Upon a second visit to the stadium, the Herald team discovered that it was not only trees in a specific section of the grounds that was being cut down.
Most of the large old Bluegum trees in the stadium grounds have been cut down and is being loaded onto a waiting truck.
According to Marcelle Mans from the Randfontein Publicity Association, whose offices are situated in the stadium grounds, they are horrified.
“We cannot believe it. These trees have been here for hundreds of years and they were all cut down in a matter of two days.
“We are all about greening and planting trees. I cannot understand why this is being done.”
Mans says that she has made contact with municipal officials, including outgoing parks manager, Dries Odendaal, who apparently knew nothing about the issue.
“I would like to know who gave them permission to cut down the trees and why this was done.
The stadium now looks bare and dreary. It is very sad.”
The Herald managed to get in touch with the company who cut down the trees, and was told that they were given permission to remove the trees by stadium manager Bernard Green.
As Green is, by municipal decree, not allowed to speak to the press, the Herald has submitted questions in this regard to municipal spokesperson, Lucky Chiya, who says that he will have to investigate the matter before commenting.
Watch this space for more as this story develops.
