A large oak tree had capsized and had fallen into the Bergzicht Plaza building, prompting an emergency call from the Stellenbosch municipality to Stodart Tree Fellers who removed the capsized tree on 4 May. This is according to Raymond Horsman, administrator for Stodart Tree Fellers. PHOTO: Kara Olivier
An oak tree was recently cut down and removed after it fell onto the side of a building, raising concerns among experts about the sustainability of this species in Stellenbosch.
This is according to Kobus Botha, the building manager of Bergzicht Plaza body corporate.
A large oak tree located on Crozier Street was felled on the evening of 4 May after a woman noticed the bottom of the tree had cracked and toppled over, landing on the wall of the Bergzicht Plaza building, explained Botha. The woman notified Botha, who then called Stellenbosch Municipality, he said.
“The tree had capsized and had fallen into the building, so we received an emergency call from the municipality,” said Raymond Horsman, administrator for Stodart Tree Fellers, who removed the tree on 4 May.
“As soon as a tree starts posing a danger to buildings, vehicles or people – the tree is pruned or felled to ensure everyone’s safety,” said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for the municipality, in written correspondence with MatieMedia.
A tree that falls over can damage property and poses a serious danger to vehicles and pedestrians, said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for the municipality. The parks department and various tree contractors, including Stodart Tree Fellers, manage, take care of, water and fell all trees planted on public land in the municipal area to mitigate damage. PHOTO: Kara Olivier
Toppled Trees
The tree fell over due to its old age, stated Grobbelaar. However, Horsman said that another reason could be damage to the roots of the tree.
“Damage happens from the inside. Water gets in – or diseases – and then you won’t see it until later when the [tree] is already on the ground,” said Bonakele Mpecheni, a representative of the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden. After a tree is damaged, strong winds or just gravity on a top-heavy tree, will capsize it, he explained.
A large oak tree located on Crozier Street was felled on the evening of 4 May after a woman noticed the bottom of the tree had cracked and the tree had toppled over, landing on the wall of the Bergzicht Plaza building, said Kobus Botha, the building manager of Bergzicht Plaza body corporate. PHOTO: Kara Olivier
“[The] parks department and tree contractors manage, take care of, water and fell all trees planted on public land in the municipal area [to mitigate damage]”, explained Grobbelaar.
Oak trees are not indigenous and they “tend to be a problem”, Mpecheni added. “There are indigenous trees that are tougher” and “will live far longer [than exotic oak species]”, he explained.
Damage to trees occurs when water gets in or the tree becomes diseased and this is difficult to identify until the tree has already toppled over, said Bonakele Mpecheni, a representative from the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden. He explained that, after the tree is damaged, strong winds or just gravity on the top-heavy tree will capsize it. GRAPHIC: Jamie Venter
If a tree falls in Stellenbosch
“When oak trees fall in Stellenbosch, [the municipality] replaces it with another one,” said Mpecheni. “I would encourage [the municipality] to plant indigenous [species]”.
Grobbelaar confirmed that the tree felled on Crozier Street will be replaced by a smaller tree.
“The municipality generally plants indigenous trees in parks, cemeteries, open areas and the Jan Marais Nature Reserve, for example,” said Grobbelaar. However, “in the historic heart of town, the fallen giant oaks are replaced with Pin Oaks or Water Oaks”, he stated.
“We pride ourselves on being the City of Oaks. The scenic oak-lined lanes in the historic heart of town attracts thousands of tourists and visitors monthly,” said Grobbelaar.
Stodart Tree Fellers received an emergency call from the Stellenbosch Municipality on 4 May to fell an oak tree that had capsized on Crozier Street, explained Raymond Horsman, administrator for the business. “We have been working in Stellenbosch for many years, probably 20 years,” said Horsman.
Watch Stodart Tree Fellers remove the tree in this video. VIDEO: Jamie Venter
“The wood was so rotten, there was no weight in that wood,” explained Kobus Botha, the building manager of Bergzicht Plaza body corporate, on which a tree recently collapsed. “These oak trees are everywhere, so this is probably a Stellenbosch-wide problem,” added Botha. VIDEO: Jamie Venter