Speaking of Elephants, did you know that they love to get drunk on the Marula fruit?

The Marula trees give forth their golden yellow fruits during February at the height of the African summer and with the intense tropical fragrance floating on the warm summer breeze, lures wild animals of various species including herds of elephants from miles around to come and eat the juicy fruits. The elephants will walk for days to gorge themselves and because of this the Marula tree has become known as the The Elephant Tree.

The elephants have also endangered the trees, as they have a tendency to strip the bark. Not so good!

The tree is also held to be a strong aphrodisiac and many tribes still listen to ancient folklore when it was know as The Marriage Tree. Even today many rural people continue to conduct wedding ceremonies below its leafy boughs. Where better to make sure of a successful marriage, blessed by children, eating the fruit of the Marula tree and drinking its juice, but underneath its shady countenance!

Today, many jams, juices and alcoholic drinks are made from the fruit, along with a number of ranges of skincare products. Every part of the tree is used, proving that this is one of South Africa’s most useful plants, as it also helps to provide work for impoverished people by empowering rural women. Over 2400 women from rural communities benefit from the manufacture of the products. They are involved in either picking the fruit or extracting the marula oil from the marula nut.

In Africa, the marula is valued so highly, that to give someone the seed kernel of the marula tree as a gift, represents the greatest mark of friendship. Here I offer to you my virtual seed kernel of the Marula tree, as my gift to you …

Testament to the wonderful skill of the KwaZulu-Natal seamstresses who work miracles with beads was unveiled recently at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg and no, it wans’t an elephant of any colour, pink or white!

Infact it was the South African flag, measuring 6 metres by 2.5 metres. Hanging in a wave shape the bright colours sparkle in the hushed atmosphere above the judges’ seats in the courtroom.

Commissioned by the artworks committee of the Constitutional Court, the collection itself consists of 200 works, collected since 1994 when the court came into being.

The pattern itself filled the main gallery of The African Art Centre in Durban and imparted a sense of panic at having to tackle the huge undertaking.

How Do You Swallow An Elephant? Bit by bit, of course and so the flag was split up into a series of panels, all stitched with the same threads and beads, one colour at a time.

An awning and tent making company assisted by stitching the panels and backing. Stitching the flag to the backing alone took nine days to do, eight hours a day, all by hand as to use a machine was impossible.

A true labour of love which when finished had all the seamstresses names embroidered into the green section – there for posterity.

Probably something similar would be too large to bring home, but you’ll find many different and clever uses of the famous beading work which will slip into the suitcase with no problems! Often the seamstresses keep their families on the income they get from their work, when everything else has failed to bring in the money they need to live off, so buy with impunity, the special skill of these beautiful works of art.

Photos: Lucille Davie, (City of Johannesburg)