Africa · Zimbabwe General Public 5 September 2026

Lippia javanica, known as zumbani in Shona and umsuzwane in Ndebele, grows across much of Zimbabwe as a woody shrub with strongly aromatic leaves. It is the plant most Zimbabwean households reach for first when someone develops a fever, cough or blocked nose. Preparation is simple and has changed little. A handful of fresh or dried leaves is steeped in boiling water for several minutes and drunk as an infusion, often sweetened with honey. The same infusion is used for steam inhalation, with the patient seated under a blanket over the pot. Dried bundles are sold in every major market in the country. Traditional indications extend well beyond respiratory complaints. Zumbani has been used for malarial fever, as a wash for skin complaints and scabies, as an insect repellent when burned, and as a post-partum cleansing tea. In some communities it is also used to treat livestock. Phytochemical analysis has identified essential oils rich in myrcene, linalool, carvone and ipsdienone, along with flavonoids and tannins. Laboratory studies have demonstrated antimicrobial activity against several bacterial and fungal species, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in cell and animal models. Demand rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, when zumbani was widely promoted across Zimbabwe as a remedy. It is important to be clear that this popularity ran ahead of the evidence: no controlled human trial has shown that zumbani treats or prevents COVID-19. Symptomatic relief of congestion is a reasonable expectation; a cure is not. Zumbani is generally well tolerated as an occasional tea. Caution is warranted in pregnancy, in very young children, and where the plant is taken in concentrated or prolonged doses, as safety data at those levels is limited. Persistent fever, breathlessness or coughing blood needs clinical assessment rather than home treatment.

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