The City of Cape Town and CapeNature welcome the conviction of a poacher in the Kuils River Magistrate’s Court for stealing indigenous plants from the City’s Bracken Nature Reserve. 

Mr Ashley Dirkse was convicted in the Kuils River Magistrate’s Court on 21 October 2026 for poaching 104 indigenous plants from the City’s Bracken Nature Reserve in Brackenfell on 20 May 2024.
 
The species targeted by Dirkse were Drimia elarta, or Jeukbol, a bulbous perennial flowering plant; and Perlagonium triste, or Kaneeltjie, a tuberous perennial flowering plant.

Mr Dirkse was sentenced a fine of R80 000 or two years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, on condition that he is not convicted of any offence relating to plants during this period. The court further disqualified Dirkse for a period of three years from obtaining any authorisation, licence or permit to enter any protected area or nature reserve in the Western Cape, or any authorisation, licence or permit authorising the picking of flora in the province.
 
‘We are very grateful that the poached plants and bulbs were returned and replanted in the Bracken Nature Reserve. I also want to thank the staff members from the reserve who testified in court and were involved in securing this prosecution. Hopefully, this sends out a strong message to poachers. I want to remind the public that it is a crime to remove any plants, animals, rocks, shells, or any natural specimen from our reserves, coastline, and protected areas,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

The poaching of indigenous plants poses a real threat to our natural heritage. Our nature reserves and conservation areas have been established to protect, conserve, and promote our natural environment. The removal of plants from the wild can undermine plant populations, disturb habitat, and compromise the ecological integrity of these areas.
 
The successful conviction resulted from collaboration between the City of Cape Town, CapeNature, Brackenfell SAPS, the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit of the SAPS in Kuils River, and the National Prosecuting Authority.
 
CapeNature commends all officials and prosecutors involved in securing this conviction and remains committed to working with its enforcement partners to investigate biodiversity crime and bring offenders before the courts. The outcome demonstrates the value of coordinated investigation, conservation expertise and prosecution in addressing biodiversity crime.
 
Members of the public are urged to report suspected plant poaching to SAPS and the relevant conservation authority. Visitors to protected areas and nature reserves may not remove any plants or plant parts without the required lawful authorisation or permit.
 
Anyone wishing to report biodiversity crime in the Western Cape can contact their nearest police station, CapeNature on 087 087 9262, or the Crime Stop Tip-Off Line on 08600 10 111.
 
Captions: These plants were poached from the Bracken Nature Reserve – a Perlagonium triste, or Kaneeltjie; and Drimia elarta, or Jeukbol, a bulbous perennial flowering plant.