Mthabisi Tshuma, Features Correspondent
Winter has, since time immemorial, presented a perfect hunting opportunity for the Bakhwa people from Thwai Thwai area in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South province.

Low temperatures were the most favourable for them to head into the bush accompanied by dogs and armed with spears, bows and arrows and axes in order to hunt especially for kudu and eland for meat.

On bad hunting days, the Bakhwa people would set up snares and chase the animals towards the snares, after which they would get meat from the immobilised animals. This was a strong part of their culture as they lived on hunting and gathering.

The arrival of the more powerful, armed and militant tribes like the Ndebele and Shona between the 13th and 18th centuries pushed the Bakhwa people, also known as the San, to the drier parts of Matabeleland and subsequently changed their way of living.

In 1928, the Bakhwa moved from Thwai Thwai to Sabasi Village in Bulilima District under Chief Masendu where they live today. Also known as the Basagwa, the San are found in remote areas in Southern Africa, particularly in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.

In Zimbabwe, the community is found on the outskirts of Bulilima District in Matabeleland South province and in Tsholotsho District in Matabeleland North province.

Their forefathers had difficulties adapting to the change of environment as they were no longer hunting and gathering for a living.

The Bakhwa people remain secluded and have not integrated well into the greater community of Zimbabweans.

Chronicle recently took a tour around the village to assess how the Bakhwa people are going about their daily lives.

The elderly Bakhwa people who were young when they settled in Sabasi Village reminisced on how they changed from being a people who loved their game meat to being agriculture-oriented individuals.

Ms Fortunate Ncube (97) who was about five years old when her family settled in Sabasi Village in 1928 said for over half a century, adapting to a new life has been difficult as everything changed when they moved from Thwai Thwai.

Meat and fruits were staple for them, making it difficult for them to adjust to a vegetable diet.

“When we moved to this place, I was so young and what I can clearly remember is that my parents found it hard to keep up with the new life. They used to fend for themselves through hunting but they now had to become slaves for the BaKalanga and Ndebele people and worked in their fields and homes,” said Ms Ncube.

“What really affected some of us as we grew was the fact that we were not fully satisfied with the new vegetable diet. The meat was and still is part of our culture.”

The Bakhwa tried a number of strategies to secure their livelihoods with little success until the First Lady Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa, helped set up a vibrant horticulture garden for them last year.

The successful horticulture garden, Mr Lawrence Moyo said, marked the beginning of a new journey for the Bakhwa people.

“We had been struggling to adapt to agricultural activities because we didn’t have the determination and brains for it. There hadn’t been any meaningful agricultural activity happening here until the garden was set up.

“The assistance to set up a solar garden by the First Lady has seen us, as the future generation, embark on a new journey, a new way of living where farming has replaced our forefathers hunting and gathering ways,” said Mr Moyo.

The First Lady facilitated the sinking of two boreholes in the area, a nutrition garden and an orchard. The villagers are now benefitting from the projects as they are now selling vegetables to neighbouring communities to generate income.

The garden project has 43 members and caters for about 1 000 people, all from the San community.

Mr Davy Ndlovu, the Director of Creative Arts and Educational Development Association, an organisation which promotes San language and culture, said farming and schooling are slowly becoming part of the San culture.

“The San’s livelihoods are now based mainly on agriculture, thatching grass harvesting for sale, mopani worms harvesting for sale and pounding mortar making. Most of their farming is done using their hands due to lack of ploughs. From time to time, when they manage to get ploughs from the Kalanga/Ndebele, they’re able to plough their fields.

“Although formal academies of various kinds have existed for a long time, until more than a few years ago, the San children had not been afforded an opportunity to attend school,” said Mr Ndlovu.

Partly because of a lack of schools in the area most of the San community tend to attend school late. A primary school was only pegged this month in Sabasi Village.

A few of the Bakhwa children have attempted to attend secondary school. Some of them drop out due to intimidation, lack of means to pay school fees, uniforms and starvation.

A 17-year-old boy who is doing his Grade Three at Makhulela Primary School, about seven kilometres away, said he gets scared every time he has to go to school.

“I went to school late as our parents are still getting used to the fact that we need to go to school. Most of them did not attend school. I’m in the same class with my two young siblings and that is so embarrassing. Sometimes all this just feels worthless with no meaningful end,” he said shyly. — @mthabisi_mthire.