The pluralistic notion of zvipuka : Shona indigenous knowledge and human and nonhuman animal interaction in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The article analyses zvipuka (human and nonhuman animals) interaction discourses in order to draw attention to the contribution Shona indigenous knowledge provides towards understanding zvipuka interactions. From largely an Afrocentric perspective, blended with selected tenets of Critical Animal Studies (CAS) theory, the study interrogates Shona cultural beliefs, values and practices to reveal the knowledge that shapes people's attitudes towards animals.This approach diverts from the traditional Eurocentric and often binarised conception of animals and African peoples through discourses of Othering. There is no single conception of the same chipuka (creature/animal) as either good or bad in Shona culture by virtue of the various religious and socioeconomic contexts in which zvipuka discourses are articulated. It is therefore argued that from an African epistemological standpoint, there is a general positive pluralistic notion of nonhuman animals in Zimbabwe, knowledge that can be utilised in formulating sustainable policies for protecting and conserving nonhuman animals.

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