The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Tourism Correspondent
A VISIT to Mapembe Nature Reserve is an unforgettable and a phenomenal experience.
To the superstitious and those who believe in legends, the visit can be petrifying, yet adventurous.
Imagine washing your hands in a stream located on the foot of the mountain before hiking so that you are cleansed from the “dirt” acquired from being intimate with your spouse the previous night.
Imagine sneaking into the nature reserve for a fishing expedition without the permission of the authorities and you catch a huge snake instead of fish.
These are some of the realities associated with a visit to the magnificent nature reserve which is now a culture village.
A culture village is an area that is set aside to portray the lifestyles, activities and artefacts of a particular culture, usually in the form of a living museum.
Mapembe Mountain is 20km off the Mutare-Harare Road.
The nature reserve falls partly in Nyagundi and Chikundu old resettlement areas in Ward 34 of Mutare Rural District.
At the mountain top are caves and rock shelters where rain-making ceremonies are held annually.
The nature reserve covers an area of 850 hectares and it falls under Natural Region Three of the agro-ecological zones.
It consists of a strategically positioned granite dome rising to 1 500 meters above sea level.
Due to its height, one is able to see the Birchenough Bridge, which is about 120km away, on a clear day.
About 75 percent of the nature reserve comprises granite, with 15 percent being woodlands and grasslands, while the remaining five percent are wetlands which are rich in aquatic life.
Mapembe is a rare nature reserve with unique environmental conditions from the rest of the surrounding area.
It harbours rare indigenous tree species and fauna which sadly are now on the verge of extinction due to human interference.
The mountain is covered by indigenous trees that include msasa (Brachystegia speciformis), teak (Baikiae plurigia) and mukwa (Pterocarpus angolensis).
Visitors can be enthralled by a variety of animals, birds and butterflies. Some of the birds found there include the black eagle, rock kestrel, peregrine falcon, lanner falcon, marshal eagle, hornbills, meyer parrot and water fowl.
Animals that may be found include zebras, elands, kudus, bushbucks, duikers, monkeys and warthogs, among others.
The protection of the game has promoted an educational facility, not only for the inhabitants of the Odzi area, but also for study groups from other areas.
The nature reserve’s project chairperson, Mr Tobias Kufachaani said a visitor just has to be “clean” to tour the area.
On the mountain foot is a perennial stream, Usuka, where visitors wash or “cleanse” themselves before embarking on a mountain hike.
“The nature reserve is sacred. There are some mysterious happenings that can befall a visitor who sneaks into the area. There was a fish poacher who once sneaked into the area, but was stripped naked by a strange force which threw him some metres away from the dam. He had to seek help from the community.
“Before hiking, visitors are mandated to wash their hands in Usuka Stream so that they are cleansed, particularly those who may have been intimate with their partners the previous night,” he said.
The nature reserve was first funded by the Netherlands Embassy in 1993.
The Netherlands Embassy did the fencing, established a windmill water system, built a guardroom and sponsored the moulding of bricks.
It sourced ostriches, elands and zebras before surrendering it to the then Natural Resources Board and automatically into Environmental Management Agency (EMA)’s custody.
EMA is currently running the reserve.
In the 1990s, Odzi villagers agreed that Mapembe must be protected, not only because of its rare beauty, but also because of its historical and cultural significance.
It is against this background that EMA intervened to protect this rare unique site from possible extinction for the purposes of preserving the natural heritage.
Culturally, the mountain has a great significance to the Marange people. It is considered a sacred ground.
The sacredness is further compounded by the graves of local chiefs whose actual locations remain a secret.
EMA Manicaland provincial manager, Mr Kingston Chitotombe said the agency, the community leadership and locals remain resolute in conserving the nature reserve.
