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The DA in the Western Cape welcomes the Vredendal Regional Court fining three Saudi nationals R2 million for illegally harvesting a large quantity of flora without documentation.

The three individuals, who were also found guilty of money laundering and ordered to leave South Africa within 48 hours, admitted in court that they had travelled to the country on 7 October with the sole purpose of acquiring the flora and exporting it to their native country.

This recent incident highlights the fact that it is not simply petty crime, but that the poaching of plants forms part of an intricate international web of syndicates dedicated to the theft of our natural heritage.

The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environmental Affairs of the Western Cape Parliament visited the Knersvlakte in September this year and was informed that the poaching of succulents and other plants has grown exponentially over the past 4 years, with Vredendal being an epicentre of this theft. CapeNature revealed that the average number of plants being seized by authorities per month over the last four years is around 12 000.

The Standing Committee congratulated CapeNature on its efforts to upskill the various role-players in the judiciary system in the fight against poaching. The value of the training and cooperation is already bearing fruit. Yet, while CapeNature has been working with the SAPS and the NPA to ensure the successful prosecutions of culprits, the reality is that local and provincial authorities cannot fight this battle alone.

The DA reiterates our call on Minister Barbara Creecy and the National Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries to provide support in the form of funding and to engage with her counterparts in law enforcement to provide urgent support to stamp out this criminality.

Issued by Andricus van der Westhuizen, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning