BY MICHELINA ANDREUCCI
The forest was deliberately conserved as an important second granary for indigenous people.
Frequented by game, antelopes like the bushbuck and reedbuck, especially in the early morning, people came to hunt for food, zvikwari– francolins, tsuro– hares, herbs, medicines, mushrooms, etc, were harvested from forests. Many shrubs and trees were the primary sources of medicinal plants, for the people.
The Matobo Hills, near Bulawayo, was an area of particularly high botanic diversity, with over 200 species of tree recorded, the inhabitants were said never went hungry. The Mobola plum or hissing tree species were popular in Zimbabwe for its fruits, an important source of food during the drought periods in rural areas.
Each part of the forest was categorized according to the dominant vegetation species and the terrain it grew in. Each of the tree species was linked to a specific activity or infrastructure in the homestead around doors, roofs, fences, pens, silos, and so on.
The umtonto, tree grew tall in hilly terrain and as a mere shrub in dry lowlands; its bark was used for constructing grain silos and canoes. The tree also provided timber for house construction.
Grass that grew on the moist vleismade excellent thatching grass.
One of the hardest woods in Africa, the musimbiti grew well on red soils; the settlers called it ironwood. Its wood was so hard it was used to forfirewood to produce charcoal, poles for construction, and strong hoe handles; making ploughs, and other digging instruments.
In addition, its juices made the most potent of poisons for hunting and pest control. It was also known to ‘bewitch’ enemies. The honey that bees made from its juices was toxic it could be used as a poison.
Anthills found on the dry red soils of higher areas swarmed with ants; especially At the onset of the summer rains, tusvosve– tiny ants about 1mm long burrowed holes around the top of the sodden anthill. In no time, tsambarafuta – black flying ants, with thick, oil-filled stomachs appear from the holes, and fly off to be captured. These edible ants made a delicious relish when roasted and salted.
Also during the rainy season, around sunset, anthills became a crawling mass of termites – majuru, burrowing their muddy way through holes to the surface. With their vice-grip like jaws, they cleared the way for ishwa (white ants), the fatty, protein-rich insect. Catching white ants –Kubataishwa was a popular activity as the planting season began; it diversified the monotonous relish of vegetables.
ishwa roasted in salt and dried – tsambarafuta, could be stored for over six months and could also be traded for other products.
The highly medicinal mutamba–the African orange, wild bees made honey from the flowers and fruits, came in two varieties: manono, with harder and thicker shell which yellowed as the fruit ripened then browned and fermented to produce a sugary taste. The mazhumwi, softer and thinner skinned variety ripening to a bright yellow, produced a creamier, tangy taste.
The indigenous fig trees produced a delicious fruit, and the creamy white blossoms of the wild pear hummed with the activity of thousands of bees producing honey. The mutomboti, muganu, and Murula trees provided many edible fruits.
In January/February when the Marula fruit ripened into a tantalizing orange colour, it was gathered it in baskets, left it to ferment into sweet wine, after been cooked and sieved.
Women were also experts at brewing; the sap of Ilala palm was used to brew wine; marula for marula beer, the very inebriating fermented seeds brew Ximwebi which attracted both elephants and people, and other highly intoxicating wine
The baobab tree lifted its root-like branches from its bloated trunk to theheavens, like a grim old god of an ancient world summoning its bounty to come forth.
This mighty monarch of the forestcreated its own ecosystem; supporting countless creatures, from the largest of mammals to thousands of tiny creatures scurrying in and out of its crevices. Birds nest in its branches; baboons devour the fruit; bush babies and fruit bats drink the nectar and pollinate the flowers; earning the name “quartermaster tree” by the military minded settlers.
During leaner seasons, some people would collected the dry fruit in large enough quantities to pound into mealie-meal, the fruits that fell from its branches fed elephants, monkeys and people alike.
The base of the baobab’strunk provided large quantities of pure water for the thirsty traveller; and the evergreen ebony tree – mthoma provided shelter to a hunter or passer-by in the forest from sun and rain.
Various plant extracts were used as mediums for healing, harvestingand hunting; as well as pest control.
The makwakwa (strychnine) was used for pest control; and could also be used to bewitch human rivals through poisoning. Seeds of the umtsuli, a runner plant, produced a strychnine-type poison that was rubbed on arrows and assegais; lethal enough to kill a small buck instantly and human within three hours.
In order to remove the poisoned arrow from a person or animal (accidentally?) shot, the flesh would have to be cut. The wound which be washed with water then treated with other herbs from the forest
But the makwakwawas also a highly-prized food luxury for some indigenous people. Thebitter bright orange-coloured, seeds from the large calabash-like fruit were dried before put over a fire to acquire a ‘smoky flavour’until dark brown in colour. These were pounded in wooden mortars after the removal of the outer skin; often sweeten with honey to reduce the bitter taste.
The seeds would be soaked repeatedly in water, to remove the bitterness, and then stamped to produce the equivalent of olive oil.
Trees were sources of construction timber and food. The open country full of grass and water-pools was synonymous with mapani(pool-country).
The Mupani was the most commonly available tree usually growing to 12m; its distinct butter-fly shaped leaves that open and close like a book, often helped antelope to survive during the dry seasons. The leaves were the breeding ground of the local delicacy madora(Sh)/ amaximbi (Nd), mupani worm
The Mupani was harvested for its timber, used in the construction of huts, livestock pens and various items and domestic utensils.
A fairly common small savannah known as the mushangidze – (salt)shrub, supplied salt, and Iodine was supplied from salt the pans in some areas
Zimbabwe is replete with fauna and flora. In order for children to be heirs of our land they need to see, touch, and know and to be part of our land.
This is why Zimbabwe should be the centre of ornithology and botany.
Today’s Zimbabwean children have no idea of how and what they are living on; their only interests are cars, houses, cloths, and having fun.By removing our children from their natural habitat, we have created urban robot that cannot function without the push of a button or plugs in their ears. An artifice
Dr.Michelina Rudo Andreucci is a Zimbabwean-Italian researcher and a published author in her field. For Comments E-mail: linamanucci@gmail.com
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