Recent development at the Crossing Centre upset some Mbombela residents, because it involved the partial destruction of a well-known natural koppie. During the past week a wetland was cleared adjacent to Dr Enos Mabusa Drive without proper consultation. In Hazyview the landscape is changing fast where natural bush makes way for shopping malls and macadamia farms. Towns like White River and Barberton may have similar issues.
The rugged landscapes of the Lowveld escarpment with all its biodiversity is our greatest asset, but we may be losing some of this because things are happening so fast. We should be more proactive, because it is often too late to start protesting when land development has already begun. Let us identify and set up green zones in and around towns. If they are properly demarcated and kept clean, people will appreciate and make use of them. This would also help against vandalism and dumping.
What a fantastic project for school groups, to clear alien plants, or make tree and bird lists! Ideally, every community should create its own green zones, but a bigger group is better when negotiating with powerful people like government and landowners. A well-represented group will also have more information about sensitive areas, special habitat and endangered species. However, this is just speculation, so if you are interested to join our group or have relevant information, please write to us! We know capitalism is a greedy animal, so lets team up to protect our natural assets!
