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National Forests Act, 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998)

Chapter 7 : Offences and Penalties

Part 2 : Offences

63. Offences relating to use of forests

 

(1) Any person who—
(a) without authority, enters or is in an area of a forest which is not designated for access for recreation, education, culture or spiritual fulfilment, is guilty of a fourth category offence;
(b) contravenes a rule made by an owner in terms of section 20(3) or a registered owner in terms of section 21(2), is guilty of a fourth category offence;
(c) invades the privacy of, or causes damage to the property of, a registered owner in contravention of the prohibition referred to in section 21(5), is guilty of a third category offence;
(d) damages, removes or interferes with any beacon, boundary, fence, notice board or other structure in a forest without authority, is guilty of a fourth category offence;
(e) without authority makes a mark or sign on a rock, building, tree or other vegetation in a forest, is guilty of a third category offence;
(f) dumps or scatters litter in a forest, is guilty of a fourth category offence.

 

(2) Any person who, without a licence or other authority—
(a) cuts, disturbs, damages, destroys, removes or receives seven-week ferns (Rumohra adiantiforme) from any forest, is guilty of a first category offence;
(aA) cuts, disturbs, damages, destroys, removes or receives forest produce other than seven-week ferns (Rumohra adiantiforme) from any forest is guilty of a third category offence.
(b) kills any animal, bird, insect or fish, is guilty of a second category offence if it is in a protected area and a third category offence if it is in any other area.

 

(3) Any person who, without the permission of the registered owner, removes any forest produce other than trees referred to in section 62(1), from a forest other than a State forest, is guilty of a third category offence.

 

(4) Any person who carries on an activity in a State forest for which a licence is required without such a licence is guilty of—
(a) a third category offence, if the State forest is a protected area;
(b) a fourth category offence, if the State forest is not a protected area.

 

(5) Any person who contravenes a condition in a licence, exemption or other authorisation in terms of this Act
(a) in any protected area is guilty of a second category offence;
(b) in any other forest is guilty of a third category offence.