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[SANS] Marjorie Russell 3

Uses in Zimbabwe as a fibre

I visited Devag, and the Market, Tilcor's outlet for African crafts, to see
whether the plant was used in an economic way. I was told that sisal was
planted very early in this country and is easier to use with its much
longer fibres. Sisal can be cultivated whilst indigenous plants are more
inaccessible and have feweer leaves. I spoke to Mr Eric M. Gombera who
comes from the Zowa area NW of Hartley. He said the children took the
outside off the leaf of a mukonje, soaked the inside, beat it and took the
fibres and rolled two or three on their knees until they made strong
string. These strings were used to make mats and also to make nooses for
snares. In 1971 P. Taylor of Chiredzi reported that S. conspicua was used
for makign string fibres. Other species are used for string, rope, bags,
nets, nooses and field nets. A man from Zwimba Tribal Trust Land -
Willibroad Mbofana, told me that he knew about the kanje, and picked a leaf
from the garden to show me that he was not confusing it with sisal. They
prepared the fibres the same way but left them to soak for a week. They
made mats, baskets and snares and used the string to tie thatching grass on
the roofs of their huts. the children made "nava" - flat carrying bags with
a string handle for carrying school books. Lunch boxes called "mbuva" were
also produced. They dyed the fibres green by boiling them for two hours
with the leaves of the mwara bush and then made green and white patterns on
their bags. When fishing they used bags made from Sansevieria as keep nets.

Frances Verrity
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