Residents furious about Milkwood massacre in Southport
Decades-old milkwoods were hacked down in the admiralty reserve.
The ruthless destruction of the South Coast’s fragile coastal ecosystem has again come under the spotlight.
This time in Southport, where a resident on Strelitzia Road has cleared roughly 250 square metres of protected dune vegetation in front of her beachfront home.
The incident has reignited calls for stricter enforcement of environmental laws protecting the region’s Admiralty Reserves.
When the Herald visited the site on Tuesday morning, Umtentweni Conservancy chairperson Alex Skene and resident Justin Sadler surveyed the scene to discover a swathe of decimated vegetation, including about 10 mature milkwood trees and numerous coastal silver oak bushes (Brachylaena discolor).
Sadler did not mince his words: “We need harsher punishment, not just fines. People must be held accountable for these crimes and not just receive a mere slap on the wrist.”
Skene explained that milkwood trees, which are protected under South African law, making it illegal to damage, move, or destroy them without a permit.
“They are vital to the coastal ecosystem and they provide shelter and food for birds, monkeys and duiker. They’re slow-growing, and the trees destroyed here are decades old,” he said.
Ray Nkonyeni Municipality spokesperson Nomusa Zulu confirmed a complaint had been received and that the Environmental Management section has launched an investigation.
“Other relevant departments have been informed and will enforce as necessary. The perpetrator will be engaged, and due process will be followed,” she said.
The Herald contacted the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment for comment, but had not received a response to date.
Conservation leaders on the coast have condemned the destruction, warning of an alarming trend in the disregard for environmental regulations.
Bendigo Conservancy chairperson Joan Gallagher said the Southport incident follows other ‘wanton acts of destruction’ within the protected Admiralty Reserve and in residential areas such as Pumula.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
