Zwimela zwa Mvelo na Pfushi kha ḽa Afrika Tshipembe

© Roger de la Harpe
South Africans are over-reliant on maize and should diversity their diets to include more indigenous fruit and vegetables.

U dzulela uḽa mitselo na miroho zwi thusa uvha u tshi khou wana dzi pfushi dzo fhambanaho. Dzi pfushi dzi thusa mivhili uri ivhe na mutakalo na mihumbulo yo pfumaho na vhana uri vha hule zwavhuḓi.
Uri u dzule una mutakalo hu humbeliwa uri u dzule u tshi khou ḽa kha zwigwada hezwi zwa sumbe: zwiḽiwa zwa starch, miroho mitete na mitshelo, ṋawa dzo omaho (kana peas, lentils na soya), ṋama (ṋama tsuku, khuhu, khovhe, kana makumba), dairy (mafhi, maas, yoghurt), fats na maḓi.
Nga u panga pfushi dza zwimela zwa hayani zwi nga engedza kuḽeḽe. Sa tsumbo, cowpeas dzo ḓala nga protein na iron (zwi nga kona u imela ṋama), ngeno mutshelo wa milkwood mutsuku wo ḓala nga vitamin. Tsha ndeme vhukuma, hezwi zwimela zwi ya kona u ṱavhiwa kha ngade ṱhukhu, zwa ḓi tou hula zwa vha zwihulwane.
Kha tshikalo tsha shango, Afrika tshipembe hu bveledzwa zwiḽiwa zwo linganaho, zwavhuḓi vhuḓi ndi hone hune ha iseswa zwiḽiwa zwinzhi kha manwe mashango. Nga nnḓa ha vhathu vha 14 million kha ḽa Afrika Tshipembe vhane vha khou pfi vho tsireledzea. (‘U tsireledea kha zwiḽiwa’ zwi amba uri u tsireledzea nga zwiḽiwa zwine zwa vha na pfushi). Ku tshimbidzele kwa zwiḽiwa Afrika Tshipembe kwo ḓitika kha zwimela zwiṱuku ha dovha ha vha na u fulufhela vhukuma mavhele. Hu ya dovha hafhu ha haniwa ubveledzwa ha zwiḽiwa u bveledzwa ha zwiliwa mahayani na uri zwiḽiwa zwa mahayani ndi zwa vhathu vhane vha khou tambula.
Afrika tshipembe ndi yone ine ya vha na u tsitsikana i dzhia vhuimo ha vhuraru kha ḽifhasi. Hezwi zwithu zwa mupo zwi hone kha ḽoṱhe ḽa Afrika Tshipembe na hone vhathu vha mahayani vho ḓitika kha zwo. Mahayani, zwiḽiwa zwa mupo ndi zwone zwine zwa ita uri vhutshilo vhuvhe ho fhelelaho. Tshitshavha tshi kha ḓi ḓitika kha zwilinwa na u kona u tshila kha zwifhinga zwine zwa lemela.

‘Nḓala yo Dzumbamaho kha ḽa Afrika Tshipembe’

Naho hu sa tou vha na mbuno dzine dza farea nga ha nḓala ya Afrika Tshipembe, fhedzi musi hu tshi khou ṱoliwa hoṱhe vho ḓo wana huri huna nḓala yo dzumbamaho (u sa vha hone ha pfushi) na u engedza ha vhathu vhane vha vha na mivhili yo kalulaho na u sa hula zwavhuḓi ha vhana.
Ngudo dzi sumbedzisa uri kha mavunḓu ane aswika maṋa hu khou tambulwa vhukuma zwo itwa nga 2013 - 2015, nga vha Water Research Commission (WRC) na vha gudedzi ḽa Pretoria, hu tshi khou sedziwa uri u bveledza zwimela zwi ya tsireledza zwiḽiwa.
Dzi ngudo dzi sumbedza zwauri miḓi minzhi vho vha vha tshi khou kona u renga mugayo naho huna uri zwithu zwo vha zwi tshi khou konḓa, mugayo hoyu uya kona u ḽiwa na nyala na maṱamaṱisi kana khavhishi.
Musi hu tshi khou khonṱhedziwa dzi ngudo ho sumbedziwa uri hu fanela u bveledzwa zwithu zwine zwa vha ngonani na u bvelela ha vhana. Ho dovha ha waniwa vhushaka vhukati ha u ṱavha zwimela na u khwinisa kuḽele kwa mahayani. U tshi nga engedza muholo wo no ḓa nga u ṱavha na u sheledza u gonyisa na u ḽiwa ha ṋama makumba na mitshelo na miroho.
Dzi ngudo dzo dovha hafhu dza vhona uri ndi tshifhio tshimela tshine tsha nga kona u engedza pfushi. Maṱari madala a no nga a spinach, beetroot leaves, nettle, nightshade, amaranth na blackjack zwi ya themendela u fana na squash (‘calabash’), green pepper, lettuce, zwifhuri, maṱamatisi na baby marrows.
Mitshelo nayone iya engedza pfushi nahone heyo ine ya nga kona u aluwa kha ḽa afrika tshipembe u fana na; manngo, papawe, avocado, marula na habu. Midzi yo no fana na amadumbe na nḓabula na dzi ya themendelwa na dzi legume, ho katelwa Bambara groundnut, cowpeas na nduhu.
Zwiḽiwa zwa zwimela zwine zwa funa maḓi-zwimela zwine zwa sa ṱoḓe maḓi hu vha ho katelwa amadumbe, murambo, squash, African leafy vegetables, muṋawa, eggplant, green pepper, onion, habu, mahuyu, loquat, na dzi legumes.
Zwinwe zwine zwa tendelwa nga dzi ngudo:
Dzi pfushi dzi fanela u ḓala u fana na beetroot.
Unga sheledza nga maḓi a mvula kana nga dzi bommbi fhethu hune havha uri ho oma.
Biofortification ya u ḓala ha pfushi iya ṱoḓea, u fana na kha zwimela zwine zwa nga beetroot.

Translated by Khalirendwe Nekhavhambe