inBUSINESS Issue 12

had a good palate for the monitor
lizard that they prefered to call kgwathe
apparently in an effort to distinguish
it from the self-same creature that is
otherwise known as gopane, the monitor
lizard that is notorious for its sharp sweep
of the tail and fabled for milking goats
while the animals are out grazing.
Mashonja are little worms that inhabit
the mophane tree whose leaves are the
source of sustenance for the worms.
Scientifically known as Gonimbiasia
belina, they are native to warmer parts
of southern Africa, including Botswana,
Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and
South Africa’s Limpopo province. In
Botswana, the Bakalanga top the list of
people for whom the prestigious worm is
a delicacy that becomes an instant staple
when in season. Others are BaTswapong
and BaNgwato of the gopane fame.
In the southern parts of Botswana,
mashonja are an all-time delicacy
because of their relatively scarcity
in an area where they were once
completely unknown before transport
and communications facilitated ease
of travel across the country. Here the
worms go by the name of phane, straight
from the mophane tree from which it
is harvested, an undertaking that is not
for the fainthearted even in territory
where phane is prevalent. It is a manual
process that entails manipulation of the
contents of the belly of the cylindrical
body to squeeze them out the posterior
end with the right hand while holding
the squirming tube in the left hand.
Thankfully, sanitary gloves increasingly
being used in this process because there
is no avoiding the stuff smearing the
hands.
As a measure of the ever-growing
savour and delectability of the worms
in the south, a mugful that sold for
P5 only five years ago or so has shot
up to between P20 and P30 in Greater
Gaborone. Admittedly quite ugly to
behold and prickly to the touch because
of a treble row of thorny spikes along its
back, mashonja have been the mainstay
of the economy of countless households
across Botswana, especially in the North
East, Bobirwa and the eastern flank
of the Central District where many –
including the high mobility Millennium
Generation – have this worm to thank for
their education and prosperity.
The time was, not so long ago, when
families would harvest these worms and
barter them by the bucket for school
uniforms, household utensils and other
foodstuff. This practice still persists,
although to a lesser degree than, say, two
decades ago or so, because its benefits
are obvious. But like other types of food,
some people have allergic reactions to
phane whose symptoms include nausea,
swelling and lumps on the skin. Even so,
consummate consumers of these worms
can enjoy them dry and crispy as a snack
or cooked with vegetables in deep sauce
and spices.
Many restaurants in Botswana’s
towns and cities serve mashonja with
pap or bogobe, but phane can also be
enjoyed with pasta, macaroni or rice.
Some people will argue that those who
do not eat mashonja do not know what
they are missing because the worms
are scrumptious and rich nutriments,
including protein essential for building
muscles.
To those who shun mashonja, mussels,
prawns and snails and so following
without even a try or a good reason such
as allergy, I say: Agh shem lovie, you don’t
know what you are missing!
www.inbusiness.co.bw | Issue 12 | 2017 39