GEORGE NEWS - The stripping of tree bark in the Garden Route to sell to people trading in herbal remedies and plants, is reaching extremely worrisome levels.

A multitude of trees in parks in George, in the Outeniqua Mountain and other forested areas in the Garden Route are dying because of over-stripping.

Targeted trees include Cape beech, black stinkwood and assegai trees, of which the latter two are protected. Exotic trees such as camphor and Norfolk pine trees are also targeted.

The bark harvesters charge herbal traders hundreds of rand for a canvas bag filled with these types of bark - a profitable venture seeing that it is freely available in nature - although harvesting it is illegal and highly immoral.

Keen conservationist Michael Bailey, of the Van Riebeeck Garden Association and a committee member of the Camphersdrift, Glen Barrie, Heatherlands Neighbourhood Watch (CGH NW), has on many occasions caught harvesters red-handed in Van Riebeeck Garden doing great damage to trees. 

"We reported it to Law Enforcement and also handed in bark-stripping equipment that we confiscated. In many instances the people doing this damage are not traditional healers or herbal traders, but independent harvesters who sell to the healers and traders."

CBD traders

George Herald accompanied Bailey and Shawn Northey, CGH NW chairman, to Hibernia Street in the George CBD to see what exactly the informal herbal dealers sell. 

During the visit at about 10:00 on a weekday morning, only one trader was exhibiting his wares, including a little bit of bark, but three more were planning to unpack their herbs and plants on the pavement.

During a discussion with the herbal dealers about the dangers of stripping trees bare of bark, they complained that they have great difficulty getting traders licences from the municipality and that they do not support the extreme bark stripping that is the order of the day.

Bailey impressed on them that if a complete tree trunk is stripped, nutrition cannot travel from the roots to the rest of the tree and that it is then just a matter of time before the tree dies. He told them that by buying bark from unscrupulous people with no respect for nature, they are betraying their own Rastafari beliefs in the sacredness of nature's laws.

Conservationist Michael Bailey and Shawn Northey, both of CGH NW, talking to a herbal trader in Hibernia Street. Photo: Ilse Schoonraad

Fines issued

On Monday 15 May, George Municipality Law Enforcement officials issued fines to the informal traders operating without licences in Hibernia Street. The police were called in when things got a little heated, but according to Southern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies, the situation was contained and no arrests were made.

Ras Hein Scheepers, a well-known community activist and Rastafarian, accused George Law Enforcement of being selective in who they target for permit compliance. "The law enforcement officers have been standing at Hibernia Street for close to a month watching the traditional medicine traders. This prevented them from displaying their goods. These traders who were harassed on Monday have been trading from this spot for over three years," said Scheepers.

George Municipality senior communication officer Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe says the municipality has received several complaints about illegal bark trading in the CBD. "Bark trading is not allowed in George and Law Enforcement has confiscated several items from illegal traders in the past, but people are continuing to trade illegally. Those traders who are trading in bark in the city centre are guilty of an offence."

Some of the herbs and plants sold by Rastafari herbalists include wild garlic, ginger and buchu. In the centre is a small portion of bark. Photo: Ilse Schoonraad

Herbalists must comply

Mangqwengqwe says the municipality had several inquiries from entrepreneurs in the CBD who are dealing with herbs. "Trading in herbs is not an offence, but traders must be compliant in terms of environmental laws.

"The municipality had a meeting with Rastafarians in June 2022 and these traders were informed that they must apply for a trading permit to trade in the town and that there were only a few bays available in the CBD. After the meeting, only two traders who are dealing with herbs applied for permits. These traders are located at Trading Bay 18 and 19 at Van der Stel Plein. So, there are currently only two legal herbal traders in town.

"It is also important to know that the application process for trading bays in the CBD closed last year and any new applications will have to be done in the new financial year. Trading bays for herbal trading are available in Pacaltsdorp and Blanco and traders can apply for new trading sites from 1 July 2023."

Huge problem

Bark-stripping is a growing trend in George and Bailey says it has become noticeably worse over the past year. "It is not confined to the Garden Route but a huge problem all over the country," he says.

In March, SANParks announced that the trees in the Newlands Forest, a conservancy area on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, will be painted with white water-based paint to protect them from bark strippers.

As the bark is used for medicinal purposes like stomach and skin problems, herbal healers are hesitant to deal in painted bark.

About 50 trees are stripped in the park every month - sometimes up to 25 trees are left standing bare overnight.

This Cape Beech was stripped bare and is now doomed. Photo: Michael Bailey

Solutions

Bailey believes the following options may curb the problem and offer some protection to the trees:

• Educating the harvesters that bark stripping is not sustainable as they are killing off their source by stripping the trees of too much of their bark, causing them to die.
• Protecting the trees using white water-based paint as per this article, 
• Law Enforcement confiscating bark from the vendors in Hibernia Street and anywhere else. Herbal traders have a wide choice of leaves to choose from and users do not need bark for their medicinal purposes.

Police were called out when the situation threatened to get out of hand after fines were issued to unlicensed Rastafari herbal traders in Hibernia Street on Monday 15 May. Photo: Hein Scheepers

Proteas

George also has a major problem with vagrants picking proteas and fynbos in the Van Riebeeck Garden and selling them in town.

"They are very destructive and break large branches off the protea bushes, which makes it easier for them to break off the protea flower buds off the tips of the stems. Please do not ever buy these flowers from people on the street," Bailey appeals.

Both the bark-stripping and the plundering of fynbos fall under the municipal by-law that states: 

"No person may in or at a public amenity, except if authorised to do so under section 9(2)(b), pull out, pick, cut or damage any flora growing in the amenity, or have such flora in his or her possession."

Bark strippers after they were interrupted in the Van Riebeeck Garden in George. Photo: Michael Bailey

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