Maputo — The logic of the market economy is overturning sacred traditions in southern Mozambique: much to the shock of the older generation some people have taken to selling the juice of the canhu fruit.
When fermented, the fruit produces a powerful alcoholic beverage, which is alleged to act as an aphrodisiac. It used to be given away in the rural parts of southern Mozambique, but some farmers have discovered that people visiting from Maputo are willing to pay for it.
Elderly residents of Marracuene district, some 30 kilometres north of Maputo are angered at the "greed" of those who sell canhu. "You don't sell canhu, you offer it", they told AIM.
One old man, Antonio Xirinza, said "nowadays people use the excuse of poverty to sell canhu. But it's not true, it's just pure opportunism. Moral values have been forgotten and tradition isn't respected any more".
Xirinza was speaking to AIM in Marracuene town during the weekend celebrations of the 108th anniversary of the Battle of Marracuene, fought against the Portuguese invaders. The anniversary has become the excuse for an enormous party: people from Maputo come to Marracuene - and they expect to drink canhu.
"The moral values, the tradition, and the culture of a people are being corroded", grumbled Xirinza. "And now it's reached this point - they're even selling canhu juice !" Indeed, throughout the town one could find canhu on sale for between 10,000 and 20,000 meticais (40 to 80 US cents) a litre - which is a lot cheaper than the equivalent quantity of beer or wine.
The rule for canhu used to be that it was never sold - at most it was exchanged for another product, particularly for other alcoholic drinks.
But the women selling the drink are unapologetic - they say they need the money. "My husband's working in South Africa, I have no other source of income, and so my solution is to sell canhu, even though I can only do it a few times a year", said Felismina Honwana.
It is now, in early February, when many people from the city visit Marracuene, that she has the greatest possibility of selling the drink. "We can't waste this opportunity to make some money", she said. "It will sustain us for a few more days".
Clients are also annoyed at the sale of the drink: doubtless they had travelled to Marracuene in the hope of getting it for free. "It's not nice to see people selling canhu", grumbled Rogerio Matola. "People should follow tradition to the letter".
To allow people to sell canhu was to kill a cultural habit, he argued. Those who did so were "degrading moral values". The moral value in question seemed to be that of getting drunk without spending any money.
"You'll never see a Scotsman without his kilt", exclaimed Matola, who has clearly not visited Glasgow recently. "We too must preserve our tradition, our identity. We must stop assaults on tradition, and say no more selling of canhu".
But how would he stop it ? Experience shows that the police have never managed to halt informal trade in any other goods - why should they be any more successful with canhu ? And if the Marracuene women are banned from selling it, why should they brew it at all ?
