Six palm trees recently planted to enhance Isundu Drive, opposite the skateboard park, have been stolen, much to the disgust of ward 97 councillor, Andre Beetge and the parks department.
“We are very disappointed,” said Cllr Beetge. “The trees were only secured from the municipal nursery following a long wait for the required size and species.
The parks department staff do not live in the area, so it took us a while to get them to buy into the idea of aesthetically enhancing the area.”
According to the councillor, three of the 1m to 1.2m trees were removed on Saturday night, followed by two on Sunday night and the last one on Monday night, 11 May.
“When I saw the supervisor at the site, he had tears in his eyes. This has demoralised the team, who worked hard to make the area more beautiful.
I have spoken to the police, who informed me of a test case where someone received a three-year jail sentence after he stole plants from the vicinity of the Toti sign some years ago.
This is a serious offence. We will catch the perpetrator and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.
If anyone has any information about the stolen trees, saw anything or has visited someone with six new, beautiful palm trees in their garden, contact me on 082-718-8137, so that the law may follow its course.”
