Oslo Beach residents are furious about the clearing of prime coastal land along Marine Drive.
It is illegal to disturb the indigenous vegetation, and questions have been asked as to who the culprit could be.
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The general consensus is that the strip of land that has been cleared all the way to the beach is due to someone wanting a ‘sea view’.
Resident Liz Abrahams said she was shocked to find her ‘sacred beach path’ had had trees hacked down and destroyed.
“I am heartbroken. Why? Why? Why? Who could do this? I loved walking down the beach path surrounded by natural wild bush and on many occasions I’ve seen little animals, reptiles and insects living in the bush,” she said.
Paddy Norman of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) said there are two reasons why bush close to the ocean should not be cleared.
Firstly, the bush acts as a barrier between sea and land, and secondly, it helps to prevent soil erosion.
“When bush is cleared, a lot of wildlife loses its habitat and space to breathe. When we break up coastal strips into small gaps we provide wildlife with no space to move,” he added.
Mr Norman said the coast’s wildlife is diminishing due to less availability of food and habitat.
He also pointed out that tourism largely depends on the coast’s unique natural environment.
“Many visitors to the coast don’t want to come to a concrete jungle and if we turn it into one, like Durban, we will lose visitors. We have to look after our assets as many people are attracted to the coast for its unspoiled beauty,” he said.
The Herald was also contacted this week by a Meville resident who is concerned about the bush being cleared between the railway line and Beach Road.
After some investigation, it was established that Melville residents have take it upon themselves to clear the bush after a spate of crime in the area.
The parking lot at the end of Beach Road has also become a dangerous crime spot, residents say.
They added that since the clearing of that stretch of bush, the number of crime-related incidents in the area has drastically decreased.
They now have plans to rehabilitate the area and plant milkwoods.
Simon April, spokesman for Ray Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, said the municipality, through its environment management and signage section, would investigate and would advise the Herald of the findings.
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