More than 2.5 million illegally harvested indigenous plants have been seized in the Western Cape since 2018, exposing what officials describe as an escalating and highly organised environmental crime crisis.
A briefing to the provincial legislature’s Standing Committee on Environmental Affairs and Development Planning on Tuesday revealed that the seizures represent only a fraction of the plants believed to be removed from the wild each year by international trafficking networks.
Earlier this week, Dave Bryant cited figures showing that more than one million indigenous seeds were illegally harvested in the Western Cape in just five months, highlighting a shift by organised crime syndicates towards harder-to-detect trafficking methods.
According to the briefing, the impact has already been severe, with seven species and two subspecies of the succulent genus Conophytum reported to be functionally extinct in the wild.
The illegal trade, once described as opportunistic, has evolved into a sophisticated operation involving coordinated syndicates, large-scale harvesting teams and cross-border smuggling routes.
“The illegal succulent trade now mirrors the sophisticated pipelines used for abalone poaching, with our province being treated as a warehouse for international black markets,” Bryant said.
High-value indigenous plants such as Clivia mirabilis are reportedly trafficked through South Africa’s northern borders, often concealed among agricultural goods to avoid detection, before being sold abroad at significantly higher prices.
Bryant said the scale of the crisis required urgent, coordinated intervention across all levels of government.
“The scale of this crisis demands a robust whole-of-government response that integrates national, provincial and local resources,” he said.
“There is an urgent need for specialised environmental crime courts to ensure that these criminal networks are met with judicial consequences. Enforcement measures are only effective if they lead to successful convictions.”
He added that intelligence-sharing between agencies and targeted prosecution would be key to dismantling organised syndicates driving the trade.
Authorities also highlighted the growing role of technology in enforcement efforts. Drone operations have already been used to track suspected poachers over long distances, including movements between Robben Island and Hout Bay during night-time operations.
“We have the hardware in place, but we must now refine our intelligence-led response,” Bryant said.
Officials say expanding such surveillance tools could help address capacity constraints in rural enforcement units and improve protection of vulnerable ecosystems.
“Without stronger, coordinated action, these syndicates will continue to exploit our biodiversity for profit,” Bryant said.
Murray Swart
iol.co.za