Silent Giants falling down

Bosveld received a tip off from a concerned resident that want to stay anonymous about leadwood trees that were cut for fire wood.

Heaps of Leadwood stumps hide and covered up with leaves.

MOKOPANE – After the Department of Forestry and Fauna and Flora learned of suspects stripping giants from their habitat they want to warn the culprits that the stripping of indigenous trees can lead to imprisonment.

Bosveld received a tip off from a concerned resident that want to stay anonymous about leadwood trees that were cut for fire wood next to the R101 between the Uitkyk turn off and the tollgate. We visited the site and found that live leadwood trees were cut and packed in stags. The clean wood was covered up with leaves so that it is not visible.

The Leadwood trees are very slow growers and the size of this tree could be in the range of 30 years.

We spoke to Mathews Mphahlele of Fauna and Flora. He said that this is not dead wood that they picked up but still live trees that’s been cut and stripped with chainsaws. Mphahlele spoke out his utmost disgrace in this regard.

“No one has the right to cut indigenous trees and Leadwood trees are protected by Fauna and Flora, you cannot cut these trees, even with a permit.”

This Leadwood are approximately 10 years, it is clear on the photo where they started to cut the branches of the tree.

Mollie Birkholtz, who was the Dendrology President for Mokopane’s branch Kanniedood for many years and well known to all tree enthusiasts was shocked by the news that these trees were stripped from their habitat. She said that the leadwood belongs to the Combretum genus and very slow grower and protected by Forestry Act, 1998 (ACT NO 84 OF 1998.

The sad story of another giant that has been chopped down.

The effect of this declaration is that in terms of Section 15(1) of the National Forests Act, 1998, no person may cut, disturb, damage or destroy any protected tree or possess, collect, remove, transport, export, purchase, sell, donate or in any other manner acquire or dispose of any protected tree or any forest product derived from a protected tree.

Contravention of this declaration is regarded as a first category offence that may result in a person who is found guilty of being sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for a period up to three years, or to both a fine and imprisonment.

Mphahlele said they are still busy investigating this case and if anyone can come forward with info in this regard can contact him on 082 889 1396

redaksie.bosvelder@nmgroup.co.za