Bembwe rinotsvutsvuridzwa ramuka

Munhu ngaasamhanyirira zvinhu nguva yazvo isati yasvika.

Dogs must only be set on a duiker when it shows up.

One must wait for some things to materialise rather than make a hasty approach.

The process of hunting with dogs for small game was a very interesting one. It involved training the dogs first to not set off until they have seen the prey. Both hunter and hound would stealthily parole the bushes and the velds until they see possible prey such as a duiker. Then they would try and get as close as possible without being detected. All this required considerable skill on the part of the hunter because simple things like the change of the wind direction could alert and alarm the duiker. But all of this required patience too and proper timing. Only when one was within reach would they set the dogs on the duiker. This was the surest way of catching the duiker. Hence it is futile to set the dogs on any animal before you have seen it as it will easily detect danger and flee. This experience was used by our ancestors to spell out the lesson that patience is a virtue in some ventures and one must wait for the opportune time to engage.

The proverb is used to advise on not rushing into things that require timing and precision. It can be used in situations where one is attempting to speed up a process that will eventually happen but relies on something else happening first as a restraint.