No more tree-felling in Tokai Forest, rules court If the community does not stand up and protect its rights and its environment, who will do so? Sometimes a community also has to stop government agencies from exploiting the environment. Your environment depends on your community - you can't leave it up to a municipality or a government! The Cape Town High Court has ruled that forestry company Mountain To Ocean (MTO) and Sanparks must stop cutting trees in the Tokai Forest. Parkscape, a community-based environmental group in Tokai, says SanParks has previously been unwilling to engage with community on the matter. The felling of the trees in the Tokai Forest started last year August but the activity was halted when Parkspace took the matter to court. Dozens of angry locals protested against the plan, claiming SanParks had gone against the Tokai Cecilia Management Framework, a document signed in 2006. Parkscape's Nicky Schmidt says they secured a comprehensive win, with costs, and that Sanparks will now be legally obliged to consult with them. Listen to the Cape Talk audio interview at http://ift.tt/2mHnhe0
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