Call for moratorium on timber plantations in South Africa
Timberwatch Statement - WSSD August 27 2002

Timberwatch, a coalition of Environmental NGOs and individuals, calls on the government as well as the timber industry, to agree to an immediate end to the planting of new industrial timber plantations in all naturally vegetated areas, in particular grasslands, as well as in areas of agricultural land normally used to produce food crops. These areas are part of our country's irreplaceable natural resources and should be viewed as public assets, to be protected and managed for the benefit of both present and future generations of South Africans.

It has been established that whilst existing industrial plantations cover an area in excess of I 500 000 ha, there is another estimated I 680 000 ha which has been invaded by alien trees, essentially Pine, Eucalyptus and Acacia species. These invaded areas are sometimes referred to as "jungle" plantations, with reference to their unmanaged and neglected state. Timberwatch believes that before any more industrial timber plantations are established on virgin lands, that these "jungle" areas should be managed for the existing timber and then rehabilitated as indigenous vegetation, pastures or farmlands; or if it is absolutely necessary, converted into properly permitted and maintained formal timber plantations.

There are estimates that illegal plantations make up as much as 30% of the total in some catchments, and in cases where it has been established that water usage exceeds the approved percentage of the total produced by the
catchment concerned, that such illegal plantations should be removed, and the land rehabilitated accordingly. An example of the above is the Sabie river catchment with its impacts on down-stream farming, the Kruger Park and Mocambique.

The establishment of timber plantations in the form of woodlots on communally owned tribal grasslands is being used by the timber industry as a cheap, irresponsible ploy to get more raw wood for pulp and paper mills.
Done under the guise of 'helping develop a rural economy', the reality is that such timber plantations do far more harm to rural communities than good. The meagre income that may be generated by the sale of timber after
about ten years, cannot begin to compensate people for the loss of the use of their land and water that would otherwise have generated food, medicines, thatching, clothing, and other ecological services.

Consequently, it is not surprising that as the timber companies expand into the old homeland areas, more and more rural people are becoming impoverished; leaving their traditional homes in search of employment in the cities, or alternative land in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Dukuduku forest near Lake St Lucia. In the light of the poor or often negative net returns that such woodlots give to their owners, Timberwatch is of the view that the South African government should give consideration to linking a BIG (Basic Income Grant) to the preservation of natural vegetation on communal land occupied by small rural farmers.

Timberwatch is of the opinion that the timber industry is viable only because it fails to take full financial responsibility for both the direct and indirect costs that arise from their activities. To make matters worse, the government subsidises the industry through IDC (Industrial Development Corporation) schemes as well as tax concessions. The industry also relies heavily on the further decline in the value of the Rand, to prop up its export earnings, which we believe are not always repatriated back to this country where they are needed in the economy, but siphoned off to pay for overseas operating losses and shareholders dividends. A full investigation of the industry would show how it is artificially sustained at the expense of other viable and legitimate uses of land.