A long-time Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden volunteer says he is witnessing “neglect, decay and death” when he walks through the nursery. However, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has rejected his claims. SANBI said the matter was already raised privately and largely resolved.

James Deacon, a naturalist with almost two decades of involvement at the garden, launched a public social media campaign on 17 May. He called on supporters to put pressure on the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp.

‘Slowly dying’

Deacon described the state of the garden in stark terms in his post.

“When I walk through the nursery now, I see neglect, decay and death. The amazing plant collections that have taken decades and more to establish sit neglected, slowly dying,” he said.

“The protea collection is less than a third of what it was, and only a fraction of the ericas remain. One plant has gone from extinct in the wild to completely extinct purely due to lack of effort to keep it going. Places once full of plants sit empty and, in some cases, full of weeds because the production of plants is so diminished.”

Deacon said financial mismanagement had compounded the problem.

“Poor financial management has resulted in the organisation having to use funds donated for educational purposes to pay staff salaries. Kirstenbosch no longer has a protea or an erica expert and hasn’t had either for years,” he said.

‘I am not attacking anyone’

After SANBI rejected his claims, Deacon stood by his account but said the campaign was never about blame. “I think it is sad that they are still denying it; all I want is to get the problem fixed. I am not attacking anyone,” he said.

He added that he did not want the matter politicised. He said the future of the garden was his only concern.

SANBI said Deacon’s allegations were not new. He had written to the minister in February 2026. SANBI met with him on 23 February at Kirstenbosch at the minister’s request.

“During the engagement, which included discussions and explanations on all issues raised, Mr Deacon conceded that some of his allegations were inexact. Following this meeting, SANBI considered the matter resolved as per the discussion with Mr Deacon,” SANBI said in a statement. SANBI confirmed that some of the issues Deacon raised had since been addressed, with others still in progress.

Minister’s private email shared

SANBI said it was regrettable that Deacon had since shared the minister’s private email address. He had encouraged the public to contact him directly.

“It is regrettable that Mr Deacon has now publicly shared the minister’s private email address and encouraged members of the public to spam him. This is despite Mr Deacon being aware that the minister timeously granted him ease of access to SANBI management to address his issues,” the institute said. “Mr Deacon’s actions are therefore counterproductive.”

Invitation to engage

SANBI said it remained open to direct engagement on any new concerns.

“SANBI once again invites Mr Deacon to engage directly with the SANBI team should he have any new concerns. His current approach of rallying public support instead of engaging with SANBI constructively is unfortunate,” it said.

The institute also encouraged the public to visit the garden and report any concerns directly to management. Additionally, it said volunteers wishing to assist with conservation projects were welcome to join staff on site.

“SANBI remains fully committed to maintaining Kirstenbosch as a world-class botanical garden and flagship tourism destination for both local and international visitors. We continue to work tirelessly alongside staff, volunteers, partners and stakeholders to uphold the exceptional standards for which Kirstenbosch is globally recognised,” SANBI said.

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