Going back to our roots: Rediscovering local foods and herbs to cope with Covid-19 in South Africa
“The tree grows well and strong, oh my children. That hath its roots deep in the native earth. So honour always the ancestral line and traditions of thy land of birth"
Credo Mutwa - Indaba, ‘My children’
The land that gives birth to us is the same land that should feed and heal us. We have that birthright. As we work and toil the soil, we connect with the land that, if treated with respect, offers abundant food and herbs to heal our wounds.
These truths hold even more meaning today, amid the crises and shocks that have rocked South Africa, along with the rest of the world.
Above all, land must come first. It is only through taking care of our land that we can come to understand who we truly are, and what our ancestors wanted for us, and through us. Land is at the heart of our visions for agriculture, for our economy, and for African food systems.
I was born in Ulundi, EMabedlane, in the northern part of KwaZulu Natal province. The area has a rich cultural heritage. The name EMabedlane (“tiny breasts”) was given by King Shaka KaSenzangakhona, to describe the shape of the two adjacent mountains. Empolweni/Isiza river originates in these mountains before joining the famous Umfolozi river.
In addition to being a source of natural spring water, the neighbouring forest produce a rich diversity of wild plants with a myriad of uses. To name just a few:
Amaviyo: Vangueria Infausta - also known as wild medlar
Grows throughout in South Africa. It produces a round fruit that turns brown when ripe. The fruit can be used to make jam, and has a variety of medical applications, including relieving toothache, and treatings malaria, chest ailments, pneumonia, and ringworms
Amathunduluka: Ximenia Caffra
This is a large sour plum variety. It is known for its general sourness, with a dry aftertaste. The ripe fruit is rich in vitamin C, with concentrations of around of 27%. Other nutrients include protein (18%), and high potassium levels. The seed contains 65% oil. Ximenia oil is valued for its has anti-aging effects, as well as moisturizing abilities. The fruit can be used to make jam and jelly. The dry leaves are powdered for use in treating fever, and infertility.
Aloe Vera: Aloe Barbadensis Miller
The Ulundi area is dotted with thorny green aloe vera trees, known locally as inhlaba. Aloe Vera is widely known for its healing capabilities, which include: improving digestive health; improving the skin and hair; reducing constipation; and relieving heartburn and sunburn.
Intelezi: Aloe Ferox
There are many types of intelezi tree. It is a powerful plant that is believed to proffer power and strength. It is used to prepare bathing soap, and is also believed to protects one from bad omens and danger, either from an enemy or bad spirits.
There are local organisations, thought leaders and general natural preserves or knowledge and ethical traditional thought leaders who understand and gather knowledge on how to preserve our biodiversity to safeguard the future of African Food Systems. The University of KwaZulu-Natal has a dedicated a research division focusing on "Water, Environment and Biodiversity," that promotes better biodiversity conservation in South Africa, particularly in KwaZulu Natal province. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has launched a biodiversity educational programme in the province to raise public awareness on the value of biodiversity, and how ways to conserve it.
The Covid- 19 pandemic has taught me that we have always had these natural gifts for healthy living in agriculture at our disposal. African food systems rely heavily on natural biodiversity as a source of food and health. It is up to us to learn how to preserve and sustain our age-old ecosystems as they will in turn nurture our resilience to new diseases, climate-induced shocks, and other external threats.
Covid-19 offers a timely reminder to reflect on our natural heritage, and continue to remember the sustain the many gifts that our land has provided for us.
"The historical facts about land have never changed, they still remain the same. The conditional ideas of equality, Land, freedom. Our history is embedded with eurocentricity ideals and it is up to us to see this and contempt this part of our history to preserve our own."
Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, ‘The Land is Ours’
Written by Nomfundo Zondi
This article is part of Covid-19 Food/Future, an initiative under TMG ThinkTank for Sustainability’s SEWOH Lab project (https://www.tmg-thinktank.com/sewoh-lab). It aims at providing a unique and direct insight into the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on national and local food systems. Also follow @CovidFoodFuture, our Video Diaries From Nairobi, and @TMG_think on Twitter. Funding for this initiative is provided by BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
