Large indigenous paper-bark thorn trees on the Badplaas road were cut down by the Department of Roads and Transport for no apparent reason. They were believed to constitute the densest population of this species in the county.
The trees stood majestically along the roadside at the Badplaas/Nelspruit intersection and provided shade to hawkers selling their goods. The fruit and vegetables for sale are now exposed to the hot summer sun.
According to Kathy Richards, an avocado farmer at Alma smallholdings, the area where the hawkers do their daily business is a declared conservation area. She says the thorn trees are protected and may not be cut down.
“Selling fruit is the hawkers’ only livelihood and the trees were cut down without giving them a thought,” Kathy told the Barberton Times. She came to the hawkers’ rescue by asking the department to erect wooden shelters for them.
Seven trees were felled at the Badplaas/Barberton intersection - three on the hawker’s side of the road and four on the opposite side. 
“This is one of the main entrances tourists use to access to Barberton. The intersection is also is tainted with litter,” Kathy said. She wants the TPA to plant fast-growing indigenous trees to replace those they felled. 
An unhappy hawker, Promise Mkhabela told the Barberton Times that she had been selling fruit under the same tree for the past four years. “When they cut down the tree it felt like they cut away part of my life”. She said that Mpumalanga was a province blessed with trees and beautiful vegetation. “How can somebody just cut down these old trees?” she wanted to know.
According to Joseph Mabuza, head of communication at the Department of Roads and Transport, the trees were erroneously cut down. “A team dispatched by our regional office with the aim of trimming trees that were growing towards the road, cut down four thorn trees. This happened because the team misunderstood the instructions issued by the senior foreman,” he said.
According to Mabuza the department maintains all roads in the province that fall under its jurisdiction. This includes repairing of potholes, clearing or trimming of trees, grass cutting on road verges and positioning of road signs.
He said that an investigation will be conducted regarding the trees and should a person be found guilty of negligence, he or she will be disciplined accordingly.
The department is also considering replacing the trees that were felled.
Lungile Hadebe, director of community services Umjindi Municipality, said that although the junction area did resort under its jurisdiction, the municipality would remove the litter within the next three weeks. 
The council was also prepared to clean the specific area regularly, she said.