Trees removed by Voortrekker Monument cause dismay
Stakeholders were up in arms after indigenous trees and protected plants were allegedly removed from the Voortrekker Monument’s “walaer” (wagon laager) and historical “trekroetetuin” (trek route garden).
The monument was in the spotlight after maintenance work was done to the gardens.
According to Dr Danie Langner, managing director of the monument, maintenance had to be done for various reasons:
“Category 1 intruder plants such as ‘latana, paraffin bush and bugweed’, were treated in the ‘trekroetetuin’ since June and had to be removed.
“Young trees such as white stinkwood and thorn trees also displaced the other trees.”
He said trees needed to be removed to protect the structure.
Langner said, unfortunately, due to the course of circumstances, more trees were removed from the historical garden than what had been planned for, or consented to.
“Nature conservation also visited us and found that it was a bona fide mistake.”
A meeting followed between the monument and the Dendrological Association and a garden committee has been appointed.
Naas Grové, president of the Dendrological Association, said the Voortekker Monument did maintenance to its gardens for reasons he did not wish to discuss.
Grové said the association was not upset about the monument’s “modus operandi, but rather how plants were removed without them applying their minds”.
“We must accept it was a bona fide mistake, things should be managed better in future since the garden committee was appointed, I believe.
“At the moment we are looking at a list of trees from 1949, to try and re-establish those trees again, however, we are also aware trees don’t live forever. We are trying to determine the scope of damage that was caused.”
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