WEDZA MOUNTAIN (Tree Society of Zimbabwe)

The Wedza Mountains are situated 60km south of Marondera and 60km west of
Inyazura and are approximately 11km south south east of Wedza village (23km by
road). The range lies with its long axis in a NE-SW direction, has a length of about
21km and is 5km wide at its widest.

Much of the mother rock is serpentine capped with banded ironstone which, being
very hard, explains why over the past 300 million years the massive rock has
remained behind whilst the surrounding countryside has eroded away. The
mountains are divided into three separate physical entities. The northern area,
Dowa reaches an altitude of 4600 ft, and is separated from the central area
Romorehoto, by the Nyamidzi River which then runs down the valley to the east of
the mountains into (believe it or not) the Sabi River of which it is, at this stage a
major tributary. The Sabi flows round the southern end of the southern section
known as Gandamasunga, which rises about 1300 ft.above the general level of the
countryside and is separated from the central mountain by the Gandamasunga
Gap. It is in the area near the Gap that the old Adzwe gold mine was situated
which was founded on extensive ancient workings for the Gold Fields Rhodesian
Development Company Limited and worked between 1925 and 1939. The central
section known as Romorehoto is the highest area rising about 1475 ft above the
land on either side and about 2100ft above the Sabi River. Here the mountain is
5km wide and has 2 peaks Romorehoto (altitude 5775ft) which is joined by a saddle
to the highest point Dangamvuri (altitude 5875 ft) on which there was a police
radio post during the war. On the eastern side below the saddle is an old sheelite
mine.

The dominant vegetation is Brachystegia type woodland; B. boehmii on the gentle

middle and lower slopes; B. glaucescens on the steeper slopes and B.
spiciformis which are, like those at Inyanga, rather stunted and covered in old
man’s beard, usually occurring where there are mists.
The most interesting trees that occur here are those that are also found in the
eastern district forests, were growing mainly along streams and in gullies where
there is plenty of moisture. Although there is a normal summer rainfall of about
38”(965mm) at Wedza itself there are no records for the mountain. However, a
lot of extra precipitation must occur because they stand so much higher than the
surrounding land, and during the winter there are often days of “guti” over the
mountains and this has undoubtedly enabled the eastern district forest type
vegetation to survive. Perhaps even a reminder of a past age when the climate
was colder and wetter and evergreen forests connected this area to the eastern
district highlands.

We did a brief trip on one of those “guti” days and stopped at the Stream, at the
bottom of the central section, on which the little Nyamatanora Dam is situated.
Ferns and moss and fascinating fungi abounded and in the short time we were
there we found Bridelia micrantha, Mitzeeri and Rhus natalensis, the Natal Rhus
which I have not collected before, in addition to several other forest species
including Diospyros whyteana, the Bladder nut.

THE NICKEL ANOMALY ON WEDZA MOUNTAIN

An area such as this, where vegetation differs markedly from surrounding

associations is known as an anomaly. Nickel is thought to be the heavy metal most
toxic to plant growth, followed by copper. Moreover, the effects of this toxicity
are manifested in the vegetation in different ways on copper and on nickel
soils. Professor Wild of the University’s Botany Department has recorded a total of
436 species occurring in copper soils throughout Rhodesia and only 302 on nickel
soils.

Numbers on each particular anomaly are, of course, far less. On the very strong
one near the old Wedza Mine, for example, a total of only 17 species of grasses,
herbs and trees has been found.

Thus, a very reduced number of species can immediately indicate the presence of
heavy metal in the soil. The species themselves give a further indication. On the
Wedza anomaly, in an area surrounded by a common musasa/mufuti woodland, the
dominant tree is stunted Combretum molle.
Suspicions are further confirmed by the presence of the soft, woolly herb Dicoma
macrocephala in numbers on the area, since a form or perhaps a subspecies of this
plant seems to be found only on nickel soils in Rhodesia. The plant has earned the
name of “Nickel flower”.
This and other plants have the ability to take up nickel which is of no use to them,
and remain unaffected. The analysis of the leaves of such plants for heavy metals
forms the basis for “Biogeochemical” prospecting. This method is presently being
employed using vegetation growing on the wind blown Kalahari sands to determine
whether the under lying rocks contain economic minerals.

On this trip we will only be able to examine a tiny part of these huge mountains
that vary so much in all their aspect. Perhaps this should be the beginning of a
series of visits. There is a move to have the Wedza Mountains declared a Nature
Reserve and if this happens it could become more accessible which would certainly
make future trips easier.

In producing these notes I must acknowledge the information gleaned from::“

The Geology of the Country South and East of Wedza” by P. Fey, M.Sc. Geological
Survey Bulletin No 77; “A visit to the Wedza Mountain” by J.N.Talbot and
“Conservation Plan, Wedza Mountain”, a report to Natural Resources Department
by Thomas Muller.

-Meg Coates Palgrave