Kuramba nyama yechidembo hunge uine yetsuro
To refuse the meat of a polecat means you must have that of a hare.
Tsanagudzo
Munhu anoshamisirira kana kuramba ruyamuro kana aine zviri nani chete asi kana asina anofanira kuzvininipisa ogamuchira akasununguka.
What the Words Say
To refuse the meat of a polecat means you must have that of a hare.
What It Means
One only refuses support or assistance if they are in a better situation.
Cultural Context
The hare is considered a delicacy while the polecat is frowned upon because of its stench. So the karanga people generally favored hare meat for consumption rather than the polecat. But for one to refuse a gift of meat that may not be their first choice, they must have a better option. Hence our ancestors saw this refusal of a gift as a sign of having no need for it because one must have something of a greater quality. The teaching is also that one must accept a assistance, no matter how humble or small it may be, if it will improve your current situation or save your life.
How It's Used
The proverb is used to advise on humility when one has nothing better to fall back on and is being offered a helping hand. In a way it castigates the one who will frown upon assistance simply because it seems beneath the low yet they may benefit immensely from that assistance.