Nineteen Rare Cycads Stolen From Mariepskop
HOEDSPRUIT (Kruger Times)- For the last 23 years Johannes Hamman and Salmon Mohlabine have been growing and nurturing 19 Encephelartos transvernosis cycads, in Johannes’ nursery and later in an open garden. Four years ago, Johannes moved these plants from his farm to a smallholding in Kampersrus, a village at the foothills of the Mariepskop Mountains.
On Monday morning, March 23, at 03h00, Salmon was woken up by the noise that nine men, three white and six black, were making as they hacked off the cycads’ leaves before they removed the plants. They had cut the fence and were loading the trees on a white bakkie, that seemed to be a one-ton bakkie.
"The moon was up and although Salmon could see the men clearly he could not alert anyone as he had no cell phone and was afraid they might shoot him or his wife if he disturbed them", says Johannes.
According to Johannes, the Department of Nature Conservation suspects the cycads are taken to a place on Mariepskop Mountain from where a buyer takes lots to Gauteng. It is believed the 19 E. transvernosis have already changed hands.
"It seems reasonable to assume the Lowveld and Gauteng groups work together. The local group allegedly 'employ' jobless people to do once-off removal jobs in areas where they do not reside. For instance, the thieves may get unemployed people from the Tzaneen area to remove cycads in the Klaserie area, and at night, and in this way, cover their tracks", says Johannes.
He appeals to anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious on the night or in the week before to contact himself on 015 7955562 or Bert Howard, Limpopo Department of Nature Conservation, on 015 793 2471.
by Lynette Strauss, Kruger Times
On Monday morning, March 23, at 03h00, Salmon was woken up by the noise that nine men, three white and six black, were making as they hacked off the cycads’ leaves before they removed the plants. They had cut the fence and were loading the trees on a white bakkie, that seemed to be a one-ton bakkie.
"The moon was up and although Salmon could see the men clearly he could not alert anyone as he had no cell phone and was afraid they might shoot him or his wife if he disturbed them", says Johannes.
According to Johannes, the Department of Nature Conservation suspects the cycads are taken to a place on Mariepskop Mountain from where a buyer takes lots to Gauteng. It is believed the 19 E. transvernosis have already changed hands.
"It seems reasonable to assume the Lowveld and Gauteng groups work together. The local group allegedly 'employ' jobless people to do once-off removal jobs in areas where they do not reside. For instance, the thieves may get unemployed people from the Tzaneen area to remove cycads in the Klaserie area, and at night, and in this way, cover their tracks", says Johannes.
He appeals to anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious on the night or in the week before to contact himself on 015 7955562 or Bert Howard, Limpopo Department of Nature Conservation, on 015 793 2471.
by Lynette Strauss, Kruger Times
Labels: hoedspruit, mariepskop
posted by Kruger2Canyons.com at
Sunday, April 10, 2005
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