Cultural resources like traditional medicinal knowledge need to be recognized in their role tied to important regional practices in Zimbabwe. This is especially as a nexus of legal definitions for biological, intellectual and cultural resources will inform a National Sui Generis Legislation for the protection of these resources. Even further, because foreign pharmaceutical companies seeking plant genetic resources, called 'green-gold', benefit from derivatives of traditional medicinal knowledge it is important to protect these practices as part of an entire social and symbolic system. This system can be conceived as traditional medicinal knowledge is accessed, kept, shared, used and valued as a spiritual gift that links individuals, families and community in relationships. Change to this arrangement occurs when the derivatives of it are appropriated for local non-customary use in Zimbabwe's street markets, in a trade union of traditional-healers, as well as for research and development schemes. Acknowledging the spectrum of divergent interests and practices surrounding traditional medicinal knowledge is a prerequisite to creating a system of protections for it as a cultural resource. A National Sui Generis Legislation framework that clearly supports and protects the cultural right of local individuals and communities will thereby need to identify the important customary and non-customary regional practices around traditional medicinal knowledge and create entitlements to them accordingly.

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PhD (African Studies) / Department of African Studies / Traditional health practice is an important and often underestimated part of health care. Since time immemorial traditional health ensured and covered all major areas of health promotion, which included preventative, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and surgical practices. In low- and middle-income countries where the number of practitioners of modern medicine may not be enough to meet the health care needs of the country, traditional health promotion is central. Given that in many societies the practices are done in secret, it therefore makes it difficult for people in general to access proper service from traditional health practitioners. This study explored the role of traditional health practitioners in promoting health in a rural community. The study adopted a qualitative approach which was descriptive, explorative and interpretative, targeting the registered traditional health practitioners in villages of Ward X of the Pfura Rural District Council. A non-probability purposive and snowball sampling method was used to identify twenty-two (22) male and female participants. The participants were registered diviners, herbalists and traditional birth attendants. The data which was collected through in-depth interviews, field notes, audio recordings and observation were thematically analyzed using Tesch’s method of data analysis and presented in categories, themes and subthemes. The study revealed that the traditional health practitioners in Pfura, are playing a vital role in offering primary health care for the people. Traditional health practitioners offer healing through their extensive knowledge of herbal and animal-based medicines and therapeutic actions such as rituals. The study established the use of herbs, traditional ceremonies, taboos, cultural norms as health promotive practices. Traditional healers in Pfura have demonstrated their efficacy and remained a powerful establishment in society through their easy access to the ancestral spirits, which has sustained the healing culture of Kore-kore people. Despite the central role being played by traditional health system in health promotion, impediments were found against the practice and its practitioners. Poor professional development, research and training of the Traditional Health Practitioners as well as the advanced age of practitioners is a setback in the practice as it contributed negatively to the sustainability of the traditional health practice. Guided by both study findings, key action areas of health promotion of the Ottawa Charter and the objectives of the World Health Organization, Traditional Medicine Strategy of 2014-2023 target, a framework/guide was developed and recommended an integrative and sustainable health promotion in a rural setting. / NRF

MRDV / Institute for Rural Development / In most poverty-stricken countries, edible indigenous plants (EIPs) have been an ever-present component of the household food and nutrition security equation since time immemorial. The place of these plants in the household food and nutrition debate and matrix is unclear. Yet, their existence lessens the impact of food and nutrition insecurity on household livelihoods. A study that was premised on the view that the types of EIPs within their local context is important although cultural domains limit the extent of their utilisation was conducted in Muchesu Ward of Binga District in north-western Zimbabwe. The study was born out of the realisation that there was inadequate scientifically generated information on how communities benefit from the EIPs. Of interest was how prevailing global environmental and economic changes influenced household food and nutrition security. Furthermore, it was evident that new approaches were needed to help build an understanding of where EIPs fitted within the food and nutrition security debate and matrix. The main objective of the current study was to characterise EIPs and examine their role in combating food and nutrition insecurity. Exploratory and phenomenological designs were used during characterising EIPs. Respondents were purposively sampled. Data were collected through participatory mapping, transect walks, focus group discussions, seasonal diagramming, key informant interviews and observation. Scoring, matrix ranking, and thematic content analysis were used to analyse the data. Inventories revealed that EIPs were available, accessible and utilised in various ways. Identified EIPs were classified according to the parts that were eaten namely: leafy vegetables, fruits, and tubers. Forty-seven leafy vegetables, 36 fruits and 26 tubers regarded as EIPs were identified. Seasonal availability of EIPs varied across the months of the year. Use of leafy vegetables peaked during the rainy season. Fruits were available in most months of the year although a considerable number of types was available and harvested during the rainy season. Tubers were also available in varied months of the year. Timing was crucial for harvesting tubers. The preparation of 20 EIPs and their uses were documented considering their medicinal properties and other uses. It was noted that some plants were edible and had medicinal value. Considering the observations made in the study, the following conclusions and recommendations were proposed: (1) Conservation and improved ways of harvesting EIPs so as to enhance their sustainability; (2) Produce seasonal calendars to help assess when a certain community is likely to be food insecure; and (3) Conduct further research focusing on the nutritional content of identified plants, which would enable better decision making with respect to household and community nutrition security. / NRF

The study is an explication of the representation of traditional and faith healers in Zimbabwean newspapers. This is done through analysing newspaper articles from selected Zimbabwean Newspapers. Kwayedza, Umthunywa, The Herald, NewsDay, Daily News and two tabloids which are Bulawayo Metropolitan (B-Metro) and Harare Metropolitan (H-Metro) are the papers that were used in the study to pursue the purpose of the study. The study is guided by the Afrocentricity and the extended pragma-dialectic theory. The theories allow the study to explore the issue of traditional and faith healers in line with the political, economic and the social context which shape the system in which they find themselves. The study recognises that traditional healing is the father of all healing systems in Africa. Faith healing and Western medicine are both colonial phenomena; they came into limelight following the colonisation of Africa thereby giving African countries a three-tier health system that comprises of traditional healers, faith healers and medical doctors. The research adopts a qualitative research paradigm. Data for the research is extracted from interviews, critical discourse analysis of newspaper articles and questionnaires. The study established that traditional healers are diabolically represented in Zimbabwean newspapers and this is because of Eurocentrism which is still rife in the minds of Zimbabweans. Eurocentrism depicts people of the African race as inferior, uncivilised, barbaric, savages and chaotic and this annihilates and dehumanises Africans. Faith healers on the other hand receive both positive and negative representation. Positive representation is necessitated by the idea that they are aligned to Christianity and negative representation emanates from the idea that their healing systems embrace the African understanding of disease and illness. The study concludes that the stories are a reflection of the idea that both the media and the minds of the people involved in news production are still held in colonialism. It is therefore concluded that media representation of traditional and faith healers is colonised. The study therefore advocates for the centering of the African in newspaper discourse about traditional and faith healers. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)