WATCH: Felled Empangeni tree is not a protected species

Empangeni residents were up in arms on Tuesday over the City of uMhlathuze’s felling of what was thought to be a protected tree on President Swart Avenue.

However, according to the 2021 Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment’s list of protected trees, the Natal mahogany is not among them.

According to the National Forests Act of 1998, no person may cut, disturb, damage or destroy any protected tree or possess, collect, remove, transport, export, purchase, sell, donate or in any other manner acquire or dispose of any protected tree except under a licence granted by the minister…

Read the full story in the ZO Weekender edition, out on the shelves and on the ZO app…

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