Resident claims Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo is incompetent

This after 70-year-old Anna Baggallay called the entity asking them to trim the top of the jacaranda trees outside her property which is on 12th Street.

She told the North Eastern Tribune that because of the trees, her house was not getting much sunlight. She said, “My house is always freezing cold and the only little sunlight that comes through is in the afternoons and [it] only hits the backyard.”

Baggallay said since moving into her house 40 years ago, the trees would be trimmed after every two years. “[For the last] 15 years… this has not been done and as a result I have to sit under layers of clothing as well as a blanket to keep warm. No one should have to live like this,” she said.

Spokesperson for the entity Jenny Moodley said her institution was inundated with requests over the winter months to remove street trees that block out incoming sunlight.

She added that they will only consider requests to trim branches that extend onto private property and will remove trees only if they are dead or decayed.

She said, “We urge residents to consider less drastic measures instead of removing trees to keep warm this winter in a predominantly, sun-rich country like South Africa. Trees [trimmed] or removed illegally is a municipal offence and transgressors could face penalties and fines equivalent to the replacement value of the street tree removed.”

Baggallay, however, criticised Moodley’s response saying it defied common sense.

“With Eskom imploring us to reduce consumption of power almost daily, and nature providing us with ample sunlight in South Africa to have the means to reduce heating consumption, why do the powers that be purposely make rules that defy common sense?” Baggallay said, referring to not being allowed to trim trees.

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