Village fuming as protected trees are cut down for firewood

At a time that global warming is becoming a harsh reality for people around the globe, looking after the environment - trees in particular - is crucial for Mother Earth’s survival. Yet, residents from Khubvi village, in the north of Thohoyandou, might find themselves wanting after a spree of illegal cutting of indigenous and protected trees hit their village like never before.

Local villagers and passersby alike were left fuming when a very old marula tree (mufula), which stood next to the main road a few metres from the Mbwedi River bridge, was cut down. The old tree was symbolic of the village, and many of the residents mourn its loss.

The local traditional leader, Vhamusanda Vho Thinawanga Randima, too was furious about this unacceptable behaviour in his village. Taking Limpopo Mirror’s reporter along on a tour around the village last Saturday, Randima was livid to find out that three very important trees, a mufula, mutondowa, and muumo, were cut to the ground recently, mainly for firewood purposes.

Randima said that, of all the protected trees that had been cut down, the mufula was his main concern as it meant a lot to the local people. “According to the elders, this marula tree is more than a hundred years old. It used to produce some of the best marula fruit, which was used for making mukumbi (marula beer). The mukumbi season is upon us, and my people will suffer because we have very few marula trees left. Besides that, this marula tree, which stood next to the main road, provided perfect shelter from the sun for people waiting for public transport. Traffic officers also used it as a checkpoint. This is an unspeakable crime committed against a whole community, and it cannot go unpunished,” he said.

According to the National Forest Act 1998 (Act 84 of 1998), indigenous trees and many other rapidly depleting trees, including the marula, are on the list of protected species that should never be destroyed.

Randima said he had instructed his khoro to investigate who the culprits behind this were, so that they could be brought to book. “We already have leads, and those involved will be summoned to Musanda to give us answers. Where possible, we will also involve law-enforcement agencies to help us fight this tendency, so that what is left of our trees can be conserved for future generations,” he said.

Date:18 February 2024

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