Mkhululi Ncube — The blazing hot temperatures have forced her to seek shelter under the shade of her veranda as she deeply contemplates the unusual summer season which is threatening harvests, livestock and her favourite delicacy at this time of the year, amacimbi.
Mrs Cecelia Moyo from Diba Village in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province, has for years religiously harvested amacimbi for relish and for sale at Plumtree town.
The proceeds from selling amacimbi have come in handy at augmenting her retired husband's pension and help the family make ends meet.
"This year is very bad because asilimanga like other years and we do not know the fate of our livestock. For the first time in many decades, our special relish is missing from the Mopane trees. By this time of the year, we would be feasting on amacimbi, idelele and ulude due to good rains but this year is a disaster.
"By this time, I usually would have about five bags of amacimbi which I would sell to raise money for various items at home. The past three years have been very good seasons for amacimbi but this year akula ngitsho. I fear we might lose our 'gold' forever due to the impact of climate change," she says as she works on removing chaff from her traditional grain.
Her husband, Mr Phineas Matemahuni Moyo, is relaxing under a big Mnyi tree after a long journey to search for his cattle which have been missing for a month now due to the water situation.
In years past, during such sojourns at this time of the year, he would have harvested enough amacimbi for his wife to make a good meal for the family but he brought nothing.
"This year we have lost our good source of protein, amacimbi, which is also a source of extra cash for us. Besides being isitshebo, we harvest them for sale and a number of people would take proceeds from their sales to pay school fees and cover home necessities but there is nothing on the Mopane trees," he says.
Mr Moyo says they pray that the heavens smile again as they cannot imagine the extinction of amacimbi.
For Mr Fingson Mvimi Nkomo from Gwambe Village, amacimbi are his favorite relish and he does not mind getting into the kitchen to prepare them.
"This year, the little rains we have received came very late and the temperatures were just too high which affected the eggs of amacimbi. The little that we saw on trees were eaten by birds so there is nothing. It is heartbreaking for us who love them as relish. It means this year I will do without them," he said.
Mr Nkomo says there is need for communities to be taught more about climate change and its effects as they have little knowledge about it and call it 'climate exchange', a sign of lack of information about the subject.
His wife, Mrs Mavis Nkomo, said the shortage of amacimbi will put more strain on women as they would have to dig deep in their sleeves to come up with alternatives as relish for their families for the year.
"Amacimbi are good because we can dry them like we do ulude for relish throughout the year. Thinking about relish is so stressful for us as women. Had we had amacimbi, it was going to be easy," she says as she rushes to chase an eagle about to snatch one of her chicks during the interview.
Forestry Commission provincial manager for Matabeleland South province Mr Bekezela Tshuma said there are many reasons for the disappearance of amacimbi this year.
He warned that the loved relish may disappear as there are a number of challenges affecting their production.
"Climate stressors affect Mopane worm production. When it is extremely hot, like it was during the December 2023 season, the eggs and larva which have just been hatched are destroyed. As a result of extreme heat and low rains, trees delay producing leaves and when eggs hatch, there is little food and shelter for Mopane worms, which shelter and feed on leaves underneath the leaves.
"Excessive rainfall can also kill Mopane worms as they may become infected or die from diseases, whereas those that are still small or not fully mature may be washed from tree leaves and exposed to predators," he said.
Mr Tshuma said massive deforestation of the Mopane woodlands has been registered in communities mainly because the Mopane tree also has many desirable properties which makes it subject to over-exploitation.
He said in Matabeleland South province, an average of 5 000 hectares of Mopane woodlands are lost every year to deforestation.
"Mopane trees are under pressure from the community cutting them for timber, poles, construction materials and firewood. During harvesting, some people cut down the same Mopane tree for easy access, while others use it for firewood to dry the Mopane worms.
"A lack of forage led to a dramatic decline in Mopane worms in 2020 and in a few areas in 2021. The same could have happened for the December 2024 season. Mopane worms only feed on Mopane tree leaves. In their absence, they are left to die of starvation. Mopane worms had spread to other tree species and even crops in an attempt to find alternative sources of food, due to poor harvesting methods, the tree population is not marching the worm population," he said.
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Mr Tshuma said premature harvesting of amacimbi does not only reduce their nutritional value but also threatens their natural production cycle hence limiting their production.
He said there are also strong held cultural beliefs on how amacimbi must be harvested which are trampled upon by people coming from other cultures who do not observe them.
"There are traditional beliefs and myths associated with Mopane worms. These beliefs detail how Mopane worms have to be collected, processed and utilised. Some believe that ancestors have to be appeased to ensure there is maximum production of Mopane worms. This belief is likened to the biblical first fruit. It has however become difficult for the traditional procedure to be followed, as there is an influx of harvesters with diverse cultural beliefs coming from other provinces to collect Mopane worms, most of whom do not appreciate the importance of the local traditional procedures," he said.
Mr Tshuma said communities need to be empowered and capacitated in marketing and value addition of Mopane worms.
He said if communities can maximise the returns they get from selling Mopane worms, this will incentivise them to conserve Mopane woodlands and hence contribute to sustainability.
It will be a long wait until the next rainy season for amacimbi lovers to see if it will bring them better fortunes. -- @themkhust
