Residents did not take well to GMM’s threat that residents will be penalised and punished by law for cutting down municipal trees.
The Ridge Times reported earlier this year, January 28, “GMM fines resident for cutting, dumping tree” of residents having to take matters into their own hands when cutting municipal trees.
Due to the lack of tree-cutting by GMM, residents find themselves with no option but to cut the trees themselves due to the damage caused to vehicles and boundary fencing or walls.
When the Ridge Times investigated earlier this year, trees were so badly overgrown that they were joining from one side of the road to the other.
Responding to GMM’s Facebook page on the by-laws of tree cutting, residents had this to say:
“GMM does not even have the equipment to do the job.”
“Municipalities must get their act together, then the public won’t have to do their work.”
“Can the municipality first sort out regulating all roads safety, electrical, water etc by-laws and maybe just maybe people will listen.”
“If GMM was doing the job they are getting paid for, the residents would not have to keep our town neat. We can’t move underneath the branches with our vehicles without them scratching the roof, so we keep the trees trimmed, and remove the rubbish ourselves. GMM takes more than 12 months to finish one job….seriously we should fine GMM.”
“Maybe do your work with the upkeep of the town first before you take on the community trying to keep it neat.”
The response from the public came after this message was placed on GMM’s Facebook page and sent to the Ridge Times by GMM’s communications Donald Green:
GMM has noticed that some residents have taken up to themselves to illegally cut and remove municipal trees and thus contravening the Municipal Parks and Open Spaces By-Law.
Section 5(1)(b) of the by-law supra states that:
No person shall –
Cut, remove, dig up, fell, burn, pluck, break, climb up or upon or cause damage to timber or to any tree, shrub, brushwood, fencing post, pole, fern, turf, grass, fruit, flower or plant
Any activity in contravention of the above shall be penalised as follows:
Section 15(1)(2) provides the following penalties:
A person contravening a provision of this by-law shall be guilty of an offence and be punishable on conviction by imprisonment for a period not exceeding R2 000, or to both such fine and imprisonment, and in the case of continuing offences, be liable for both such fine and imprisonment.
In addition to the fines mentioned in subsection1, a person convicted of a contravention of this by-law must compensate the municipality for any loss or damage it may have incurred as a result of the contravention. The municipality may institute a claim in the appropriate court for the amount of such loss or damage.
The above by-law has been effective from 11 November 2014 after it was published in the Mpumalanga Provincial Gazette notice number 2385.
Council is committed to pursuing and taking stern action against all those who are hellbent on illegally cutting the trees on the sidewalks and other open spaces for whatever reason.
Such cutting, removal and damage to the municipal trees will in future have a negative effect on the benefit provided by the trees in our environment.
Residents who value their environment and want to preserve it for the enjoyment of the current and future generations are encouraged to contact the municipality whenever they witness any damage or cutting of a tree by a resident who is most likely not have a municipal permit.
The municipal tree team is always ready to respond to residents’ complaints about trees.
The turnaround time for such a response is three days resources permitting.
All trees’ complaints can be lodged with the Call Centre at 0800 6000 01/2/4, send a WhatsApp message to 083 790 0659 or email: callcentre@govanmbeki.gov.za.
Report of contravention of the by-law indicated above to the By-Law Enforcement Unit at the following contact details: compliance@govanmbeki.gov.za or call 017 620 6325/27.
