GOOD Statement by Keagen Gertse, GOOD Drakenstein Councillor & Caucus Chairperson:
The Drakenstein Municipality has, over the past week, indicated that it is conducting community engagements on the proposed removal of trees in Ward 10, trees that have stood for more than 40 years and have become part of the community’s social and environmental identity. These trees provide a shared recreational space where residents come together to socialise and unwind.
The Municipality claims that the trees pose a safety risk following an incident years ago when a worker on an adjacent farm tragically lost his life during a storm. It has also been cited that the trees are “exotic” and not indigenous to South Africa.
However, the dishonesty behind these justifications is evident. The GOOD Party has been reliably informed that a major retail development is planned for the area, and that the land where these trees stand has been earmarked for vehicle parking. The rush to cut down the trees appears driven not by safety concerns, but by commercial interests.
That these trees have stood for four decades is proof of their deep-rooted place in the community. To now label them a threat because they are “not indigenous” exposes the Municipality’s inconsistency. If exotic trees are truly a concern, GOOD challenges the Municipality to remove every Jacaranda tree in Paarl and the surrounding areas species that are not indigenous but have been allowed to flourish freely for generations. Jacarandas, native to South America, are part of Paarl’s identity just as the Ward 10 trees are part of this community’s.
Executive Mayor Stephen Korabie recently announced that Drakenstein aims to plant 1,000 trees this year, ensuring that any felled trees are replaced. Yet, within just three days of those remarks, the Municipality began moving to remove the Ward 10 trees, a deeply concerning contradiction that undermines local environmental justice and our collective national commitment to reducing carbon emissions. Trees and green spaces are vital for environmental balance and community wellbeing.
Even more troubling is the Municipality’s apparent attempt to deceive residents into believing that safety and ecological concerns are behind this decision, when, in truth, commercial development appears to be the motive. It is no coincidence that Jacarandas flourish in historically white, wealthier neighbourhoods, while trees in a coloured, middle-income, and working-class area are deemed expendable.
After forty years, these trees are no longer “foreign” or “exotic”, they are part of the community’s natural and cultural heritage. With few public and recreational spaces available to poor and middle-income residents, destroying them would strip the community of an essential gathering space and erode the identity of Ward 10.
Removing trees for private profit is short-sighted and unjust in a society where people need more, not fewer, connections to natural spaces.
The GOOD Party calls on Drakenstein Municipality to:
- Develop a Heritage Tree Register to protect trees of environmental and cultural significance.
- Create a localised environmental management plan that empowers communities to protect and manage their natural assets.
Drakenstein must stop masking commercial motives behind false claims of safety. The Municipality should serve its people not developers and their profit margins.
GOOD Corruption: GOOD is vocal against corruption and advocates for transparency in government.
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