WATCH: Solusi area abuzz with amacimbi harvesters Amacimbi harvesters at work along Bulawayo-Solusi Road yesterday

Flora Fadzai Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
Mopane-worm rich areas along the Bulawayo-Solusi Road are bustling as harvesters of the nutritious worm littered the area while gathering the delicacy.

Leafless mopane trees told a story to the experienced eye.
The above normal rains received in many parts of the country have resulted in the availability of plenty of the protein rich worms in a number of areas across the rural provinces in the Matabeleland region.

To the harvesters, it is as though they hold gold in their hands as they meticulously clean the mopane worms which are a cash cow for many who harvest them for sale later.

The amacimbi harvester said after picking them and filling one’s container, you clean each worm one by one.

A Chronicle news crew drove along the Bulawayo-Solusi Road in search of the precious worm harvesters who told of their experiences gathering the scrumptious delicacy.

As the news crew approached the first group of harvesters, a Zimparks rangers vehicle was spotted in the nearby bushes while the rangers stopped all traffic.

According to the rangers, one is not allowed to leave with more than two buckets filled with the mopane worms as a means of regulating the harvesting of the worms.

But this did not deter the harvesters who were determined to make off with their handsome loot.

A group of women perched on buckets while they sorted their amacimbi and exchanged cheerful banter.
Ms Emelia Ndlovu, who was among them, said she is from Pumula South suburb in Bulawayo and they drove all the way to get the scrumptious worms.

Amacimbi

She said this has become a ritual for her and her companion as they always visit the area once the rains come.
Ms Ndlovu said being a harvester is not easy as most people often think as it is a long process that needs to be done carefully.

“Before choosing the area where one will harvest, you need to carefully scan it and see whether there are enough amacimbi in the area and if so, if they’re big enough. After doing that comes the harvesting part. You pick a handful if they’re already scattered on the ground and if not, you need to bring down the tree branches or better yet cut it down so that you can reach the worms,” she explained.

The amacimbi harvester said after picking them and filling one’s container, you clean each worm one by one.

“This is the painful part because amacimbi are not smooth and cleaning them often hurts. Once cleaned, we carry them home where we boil and dry them. Most people prefer carrying them after they have been cleaned because if they’re not, they will be very heavy and they take up a lot of space,” she said.

As the news crew drove further down the road looking for more harvesters, there was a group of people loading their truck with 20-litre buckets.

The people in the group said they were from Kadoma and travelled overnight to harvest the worms.
From the group, a man who only identified himself as Nkomo said this is the first time they were harvesting the worms.

He said he was invited by a friend who has been travelling to the region to harvest the mopane worms at the onset of the rainy season for the past two years.

Amacimbi harvesters

“I’m harvesting for sale. Today I got four buckets. We started early in the morning at around 5. I’m very happy I managed to get all these. If all goes well, I’ll come back again after two weeks to harvest more,” said Nkomo.

A minor who said she is in Form Two in Kadoma was also sitting with her own bucket.
She said she is harvesting so she can sell the mopane worms in order to raise her school fees and buy new uniforms.

“This is not my first time harvesting the worms so it was not a struggle getting the bucket. I’ll sell the bucket when I get home and use the money to come back over the weekend and harvest more so that I can raise my school fees,” she said happily.

A local harvester, Mrs Hilda Dube said amacimbi are no longer found near the road as a lot of people have rushed to harvest them.

She said the mopane worms have been plentiful this year, compared to last year, adding that more rains would mean more of the delicacy.

“I sell amacimbi to cross border traders at R700 per bucket and keep some for home consumption. The only challenge that we come across here is the danger of being bitten by snakes. Snakes eat amacimbi so once they are around, you know a snake is nearby. Just this morning as we were harvesting, we saw a big snake and we immediately vacated the area and went to a different spot,” said Mrs Dube.

Traditionally, mopane worms (amacimbi/madora) are harvested for subsistence by rural communities but over the past decade, they have increasingly become a commercial commodity.

For communities in Matabeleland South Province particularly, mopane worms have become a reliable source of livelihood and nutrition.

Mopane worms are processed and sold to local urban markets but the market has also extended to South Africa, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Europe. The contribution of mopane worms to people’s livelihoods has become so significant that outbreaks of the worms create seasonal employment for locals.

Mopane worm traders and harvesters put up tents and shacks in the forest which become their temporary homes while they are collecting mopane worms.

Mopane worms have also become a source of barter trade for these camp occupants where they give out the mopane worms in exchange for clothes and foodstuffs among other things. It is estimated that in a good season, over 500 tonnes of mopane worms are collected throughout the province with an estimated value of up to US$1 000 000.

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