Kuona roro kutsvuka kunze nyamba mukati makadyiwa namakonye
To see the Roro fruit which is red from outside yet inside it has been eaten by worms
Tsanagudzo
Usanyengedzwe nerunako rwekunze, dzimwe nguva mukati kana kuzonyatsoziva unosangana nezvivi kana zvakaipa pachinhu ichocho.
What the Words Say
To see the Roro fruit which is red from outside yet inside it has been eaten by worms
What It Means
An attractive exterior may hide a repulsive interior. A similar english saying is beauty is but skin deep.
Cultural Context
The Roro fruit is another sweet and nutritious indigenous fruit found in the southern Africa region. It is particularly popular and used as a sign of luck in the idiomatic expression "kunhunga Roro" (to stumble across a fallen Roro fruit). The Roro fruit is quite deceptive because it ripens when it is still yellow but continues to redden. Hence sometimes when it is red it has actually begun to rot and can be infested with worms. However because of its red attractive color many would fall for that and pick that Roro fruit anyway. Our elders used this example to reflect on the importance of getting to understand or better know something and not being fooled by outward beauty.
How It's Used
The proverb is meant to warn people to guard against being attracted by external appearance without getting to know a person or a project internally. A common use of this proverb is to caution men on falling for the outward beauty of a woman but to get to know the values and norms that guide her and her family.