Forestry, fisheries and the environment minister Barbara Creecy has declared the following trees protected species:
- Red and Pink Ivory (Berchemia zeyheri);
- Jackal Berry (Diospyros mespiliformis);
- Manketti (Schinziophyton rautanenii); and
- the Umtiza (Umtiza listeriana).
This means that 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, or any product derived from a protected tree.
The only exceptions to this are under a licence granted by the minister, or in terms of an exemption from the provisions if approved by the minister.
The department said a person who contravenes the prohibitions is considered to have committed a first category offence and may be convicted and sentenced to three years' imprisonment, or imprisonment and a fine to be determined by the court.
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