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Fungai Lupande
Mash Central Bureau
TRADITIONAL wild fruit resources and local foods constitute the bedrock of the indigenous food systems of communities in Muzarabani and other communities dotted along the Zambezi Valley.
Masawu fruits, whose botanical name is Ziziphus mauritiana, are one of the region’s most underutilised food resources that have a much higher nutrient content.
They can be consumed as raw, snacks and dietary supplements, and be traded for income.
For a long time, excess amounts of the wild fruit have gone to waste in previous years, with locals losing out on potential income.
With climate uncertainty, masawu fruits are an insurance against poverty.
The fruits can play an important role in diversifying the food base to a wider range of food crop species for greater food system resilience for the benefit of locals.
Masawu fruits can be processed into tradable finished products that are important for household consumption such as beverages, beer, soups, jam and porridge, among others.
There is fresh hope now, that the people of Muzarabani will move from food wastage to food conservation and beneficiation, all for their benefit and posterity.
Ms Jeneth Mukonowenzou of Muzarabani, waits with excitement for May of each year, to pick up the masawu fruit.
She would sell the wild fruit by the roadside and dry the excess, preserving it for future use.
“Never in my wildest thought have I imagined that masawu fruit that we regard as common here, would become this popular,” she chuckled.
“People who visit Muzarabani during the masawu season from May to July, are some of our customers. They love the indigenous fruit and we realise an income.
“We also send the fruit to our relatives and friends in different parts of the country. We dry some for future use.
“Now that a masawu processing plant is under construction and will be complete by year end, we are anticipating good business.”
As Zimbabwe looks inward for solutions that can improve people’s livelihoods, the masawu processing plant being constructed in Muzarabani is expected to benefit over 2 500 people directly and indirectly.
The masawu plant is part of Bindura University of Science Education’s innovation hub, as Zimbabwe keeps its head above the water despite the sanctions imposed by the West, mainly the United States.
The Heritage-based Education 5.0 model spearheaded by President Mnangagwa challenges tertiary institutions to come up with new approaches, interventions and modalities to build Zimbabwe using local resources.
Councillor Norman Chizeya said Muzarabani is blessed with natural resources, ranging from wild fruits to oil and gas.
He said it was exciting to see marginalised communities in the dry region, using their natural resources to improve their lives.
“This is testimony that even dry regions have their own advantages and are rich in natural resources no matter how small,” he said.
“We have seen that being rich requires a strong mind-set and the ability to see beyond the impossible. This is what Education 5.0 is teaching our children.
“The plant is going to be a massive structure, with different sections. Local people are going to supply the fruits and derive income.”
Forestry Commission provincial manager Mr Lucias Mujuru said they have started including indigenous species including masawu in their nurseries.
“The masawu processing plant is going to be a massive production, which needs a supply of abundant fruits,” he said.
“To prepare for this type of production, we have started nurseries of masawu plants to replenish the existing forest.”
Through the Education 5.0 model, President Mnangagwa wants universities to come up with new approaches, interventions and modalities to build Zimbabwe using local resources.
The core mandate of Education 5.0 is to embrace innovation and spearhead rural industrialisation through home grown solutions.
The US$5 million masawu processing plant will produce two million litres of both masawu juice and ciders annually.
This massive production and value-addition of masawu will create downstream employment for locals.
BUSE’s director research and innovation department, Professor Courtie Mahamadi, said the Zambezi Valley Masau Value Addition Plant will be serviced by various collection points scattered around the Zambezi Valley basin.
“Locals will be paid to bring the masawu fruit to the collection point,” he said.
Prof Mahamadi said besides the masawu plant, the university is developing a low-cost sodium silicate using sugarcane bagasse ash as the raw material.
Sodium silicate is used in water treatment and purification.
Prof Mahamadi said local authorities are estimated to be using US$5 million on importing sodium silicate per year.
“BUSE’s innovation hub is developing a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and low-energy chemical process for the production of sodium silicate using sugarcane bagasse ash as the raw material,” he said.
“This initiative will significantly reduce the cost of water treatment in Zimbabwe.”
Turning to their e-tolling system, Prof Mahamadi said the electronic tollgate system was being piloted at the university.
“Zinara officials have visited the university to inspect and check the system. They demonstrated that the system works and the university is now working in partnership with Zinara,” he said.
“The advantage of e-tolling is that a motorist can complete the tollgate process under eight seconds maximum. One can actually do it in six seconds.
“This means that the time that motorists spend to pass through the tollgate will be reduced. Though not yet rolled out, we have been optimising processes.
“We are piloting it within the university system itself and optimising all transactions and now the system is good to be rolled out.”
BUSE Vice Chancellor Professor Eddie Mwenje said the demand for masawu products, which include energy bars, yoghurt, jam, cosmeceuticals and Vitamin C syrup, has risen.”
Speaking at a recent graduation ceremony, Prof Mwenje said the plant was now 36 percent complete and is expected to be finished by year end.
“The university developed value addition centres in Sohwe, Mt Darwin and Kaitano in Mukumbura as part of the rural industrialisation drive,” he said.
“The centres are equipped with grinding mills, sunflower pressing machines, groundnut shellers and peanut butter making machines.
“Farmers in the two communities are now producing innovative products that enable them to meaningfully participate in the national economy.”
Prof Mwenje added that communities were trained in business management, entrepreneurship, product development and innovation to ensure sustainability of the projects.
It is through this collaboration that the idea of masawu/sesame energy bars originated.
Prof Mwenje said the energy bars are under production at the university’s Innovation Hub.
Turning to the e-tolling innovation, Prof Mwenje said it was developed through collaboration with the Harare Institute of Technology as part of the Transtech Group of Universities.
Online Reporter