These trees will soon be protected in SA – and disturbing them could land you in jail
Luke Daniel
NEWS
Four more trees are likely to soon become protected in South Africa under the National Forests Act . Cutting , disturbing , damaging , or removing protected trees could land offenders in jail for up to three years .
The Minister of Forestry , Fisheries , and the Environment , Barbara Creecy , intends to add four more species to South Africa ' s list of protected trees .
A government gazette published on Monday ( 8 November 2021 ) calls for public comment on Creecy ' s proposal .
" The species are proposed for addition to the existing list of protected tree species after evaluation by an expert panel , on the basis that they are keystone species and vulnerable to particular threats in specific parts of their distribution range ," notes the gazette bearing Creecy ' s signature .
South Africa ' s list of protected trees
currently contains 48 species , from the iconic Camel thorn , Acacia erioloba , to the Outeniqua yellowwood , and Podocarpus falcatus . Trees indigenous to dense forests in the Western Cape , to hardy species which dot the arid Namaqualand can be found on this list .
Now , four more trees are likely to gain their protection status .
Berchemia zeyheri , commonly known as Red Ivory in English , Rooihout in Afrikaans , and munia-niane in Tshivenda , is one such species that Creecy wants to be added to the list .
Red Ivory usually grows in dense groups with other trees , reaching 15 meters in height . It ' s evergreen to semi-decidu-
Figure 1 . Left to right : Berchemia zeyheri , Diospyros mespiliformis , Schinziophyton rautanenii ( Images : Wikimedia Commons ) and Umtiza listeriana ( Image : PlantZAfrica - SANBI , Creative Commons )
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