Sexanana gives Gantsi residents sleepless nights

Residents of Gantsi would like to see more intensive research done on the prosopis mesquite plant, commonly known as sexanana.

Speaking during the Global Enviroment Facility (GEF) worskshop recently, residents suggested applying for the GEF grant for community projects in order to find ways to make use of the plant through structured management. GEF was introduced in Botswana in 1993 as a financial mechanism to offer commuity based enviro-friendly projects grants of up to P500, 000.

Notoriously known to harm biodiversity and degrade rangeland, the Sexanana is identifiable by its long and thin branches, and shubbery which is always green and grows close together. The seeds of the plant root down to deep surface water to woody and non-woody parts, and traps water, which explains why it is always green.

The plant, which originates from South America, was apparently introduced in Botswana in the mid 1980s as an intervention strategy to address desertificiation and the escalating sand dunes in more arid areas of south west Botswana, at the time.

It appears the plant has over-appreciated its welcome and has over the years become more of a nuisance to members of the community, causing unprecedented damage.

Following endless complaints about the plant, government introduced the national mesquite prosopsis management strategy three years ago, in efforts to manage the growth of the plant, but it seems it has not yielded much notable progress as the plant reportedly still exists in many parts of south west Botswana.

The Sexanana is a “stubborn” plant that claws easily and can survive under any conditions, which makes it difficult to manage. However, residents of the Gantsi area have been divided over ridding the plant and keeping it. The Bokspits, Rappelsan, Valhoek and Struizandam Trust (BORAVAST) has often endorsed the plant and suggested that it be properly managed instead of being eradicated.

Rankae Motshegwa, an officer at the Department of Forestry and Range Resources in Tsabong says the plant isn’t always a nuisance, and if properly managed, can benefit members of the communities in the south west region.

The bark is used as firewood while livestock can graze on the shubbery as fodder, provided it is ingested in moderate amounts. The Sexanana is also a good windbreaker – it holds to dust sand. The downside is that it cramps the growth of native plants and tends to clog water sources like boreholes.

Some residents have also reported that the thorn is poisonous. However, some of them also say that it has medicinal properties, something which has not been confirmed.

In other parts of the world, the Sexanana plant is used in honey production, and in making commercial firewood and charcoal, an economic potential that Botswana is yet to tap into. The Sexanana is one of 2500 species of plants that exist in Botswana.