The second wave of Covid-19 virus pandemic in Zimbabwe has seen major changes in lifestyles of the citizens. This 2021 has seen the Zumbani plant being 'declared the national plant' as witnessed by every household having stocks of the 'precious' plant. Zumbani or Umsuzwane popularly known in Shona and Ndebele respectively for Fever Tea Tree (Lippia javanica) which is believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

People believe that the Zumbani plant as a natural herb that can relief covid-19 symptoms and may cure covid-19 virus completely. For the past years Zumbani was sold in established retail outlets and herbal shops in form of Zumbani herbal tea sachets. Late last year to this year there has been a sharp increase of people selling the Zumbani plant in the streets and even through WhatsApp groups. But there is a question that should be asked on the consumption behaviors and patterns. Is it sustainable? 

The major concern is that people are uprooting the Zumbani plant. Uprooting is a destructive behavior that people should desist from, especially in these times when sustainability should everyone's responsibility. In the streets you see people with the bundles of the plant with roots where we only want the leaves to use in our tea and steam inhalation (kunatira). We should harvest a reasonable number of leaves and leave the plant to grow new leaves so that we can harvest again. In this short space time we have lost more than 30% of the plant population and at that rate the plant can become extinct. Imagine that if coffee and tea estates uprooted instead of harvesting, would we be drinking coffee and tea today. There is need to practice sustainable harvesting and plant conservation measures such as growing the Zumbani shrub in our backyards. 

Not all other medicinal plants are being spared from extinction as there is increased demand for them. Experts found that plant extinction is occurring much faster up to 500 times than the natural rates of extinction. In 2008 the UK-based Botanic Gardens Conservation International named the Pacific yew (Taxas brevifolia) and the Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) to be on the risk of extinction since there are being widely used for cancer medicine. As humanity we have to find ways for sustainable harvesting of plant species that are useful in our daily lives. Elderly people can tell you that there were lot of plant species when they grew up which they are now rare to see. What the beautiful Flame lily faced, is what the Zumbani plant is facing.

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

1. https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zumbani-selling-like-hotcakes-in-bulawayo/
   
2. https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=148720