The protected trees are believed to be a major raw material for quality furnisher and wooden vehicle dashboards.
Locally known as Mutulume – the Breonadia salicina – is one of the strongest and oldest known indigenous trees. It is mainly found in wet and tropical regions like the Vhembe district in Limpopo. It grows along river banks and can live up to thousands of years. “We are very much concerned about this happening. this is a very important tree because we get water from it so it preserves water some people get medicine from it. it also helps us as a windbreaker during windy seasons we have to protect it.”
“Mutulume is protected under the national forest act number 94 of 1998 under section 15 sub section one where it says none is allowed to cut the tree or purchase or sell it even sell any product that comes from it.”