GEORGE NEWS - Vagrants have been stealing wood and plants from the Witfontein plantation near the Garden Route Botanical Garden for months, and this damaging practice is on the rise.
According to CGH (Campher's Drift, Glen Barrie and Heatherlands) Neighbourhood Watch chairman, Troy Lewis, there seems to be a market for these products in George.
"Residents are unaware that the wood they buy is hacked and ripped out of the local forests. Some of the wood being destroyed is indigenous," he said.
Members of the neighbourhood watch felt something had to be done to stop the removal of flora from the forests.
According to Lewis they confronted the so-called vagrants, but were told it was their "business" and they sell the wood as driftwood.
Other pieces are hollowed out and refilled with soil and succulents stolen from gardens in Glen Barrie and Heatherlands.
Where they sell
Lewis says a popular selling spot is Morris Avenue, between the George police station and the Total garage.
They have also been seen in the parking areas in front of Ponto's Grill, Golden Harvest, Agri, Travel Bugs and Absa.
"We were told by one of the individuals that he supplies someone in the industrial area and this person may be selling it at the Saturday markets, but we cannot confirm this.
This is what the plant items look like that they are selling.
"We are asking members of the public not to purchase the wood products and plants from vagrants as this contributes to continual harvesting in the forest and will ultimately have a negative impact on our indigenous flora," said Lewis.
What the law says
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 product derived from a protected tree, except under a licence or exemption granted by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS: KRISTY KOLBERG, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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