Ngwenya!

‘Ngwenya’ means crocodile, an animal that is very well represented in the river systems of Singita Kruger National Park. This ancient reptile, the Nile crocodile, is feared and respected wherever it occurs and has been the subject of folklore and many fabulous myths across Africa. For the local Shangaan people who often still live close to nature and depend on rivers for survival, the crocodile is a deadly reality of everyday life. Fishing, bathing, washing clothes and crockery and watering of livestock all bring people in danger of falling prey to crocodiles. It's a fallacy that hippos kill more people in Africa than any other large animal, instead, this nefarious award goes to the crocodile.

There is a small plant called ‘rixiriri’ by the Shangaan and Tsonga people, leatherplum by some and Salacia kraussii by others. In our area this rare and strange plant is only found in the Pumbe sandveld on our northern boundary. The orange roots, which are rolled up and carried on your person, are still used today as a charm against attacks by wild animals by those Shangaan people who still traverse the wild lands where lions, elephants and especially crocodiles still pose a serious threat.

Then there is something very interesting called ‘ndzalama’, which in this context refers to a pebble which is found in a crocodile's stomach. These stones are referred to as gastroliths, and are said to aid in the crocodile’s digestion by acting as a grinding stone of sorts. In older times the ‘ndzalama’ would be swallowed by a new chief, in whose stomach it must stay as a sign of legitimacy. If the pebble does not stay, the chief's right to the throne will be called into question, and if passed after a period of time, it's an omen of impending death. This same ritual is then repeated with the next chief. One can see why by swallowing the ‘ndzalama’ the chief would want the power of the crocodile, the most feared, respected and dangerous animal around.

There is also a widespread belief that a most deadly poison can be made from a crocodile's brain. This poison is called ‘pupeni’ and when it is mixed with the crocodile's liver, ‘xiganama’. Another version is called ‘xikove’, and this is when snuff tobacco is added to the crocodile brain. So feared are people of these very strong poisons, that for the longest time in many regions only the chief was allowed to kill a crocodile. Were a commoner seen hunting or killing a crocodile, they would almost immediately be branded a witch and dealt with accordingly, which usually meant being banished from the village and in a lot of cases even being executed.

Along the Lebombo mountains, scores of waterways have, over the millennia, carved their way east through the red rhyolite rock, which in the dry months have all but drained into the Indian Ocean save for a few large murky pools. These pools, often shaded by giant fever trees, are the favourite haunts of old large crocodiles, who having either chased away or eaten the other lesser and greater residents, now claim sole ownership of this precious reservoir in an otherwise barren landscape. Here they lie in wait for some unsuspecting victim, man and beast alike who ,on finally finding the means to slake their long thirst, is with a sudden explosion of water and in a fray of swishing tail and gripping jaws dragged down under, never to resurface. These crocodiles are designated a special name, that of ‘ngwenya nkelenga’, or the ‘fever tree crocodile’.

There are those Shangaan people who have taken Ngwenya as their surname, with its cunning and fearsome reputation making it a proud one. The clan praises include 'ngwenya nkelenga, xi vutla ni mindzheko', which roughly translates to, ‘the fever tree crocodile, the Ngwenya (person with this surname) is so brave that he snatches water in his calabash despite this large crocodile lurking in the dangerous water.’

Today, crocodiles remain a powerful symbol of strength, cunningness and danger, but with increased population and pollution in our African river systems, these ancient reptiles are facing an uncertain future. It’s vitally important to recognize the important role crocodiles play in ecology and not villainize them due to their dangerous reputation, for they have as much right to their waterways as do the fish and the reeds and the tiny river crabs.