African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies

African Journal of Philosophy and Religious Studies ISSN 1621-4587 Vol. 6 (2), pp. 001-010, February, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Possibilities for Cultivating African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKSs): Lessons from Selected Cases of Witchcraft in Zimbabwe

Munyaradzi Mawere

PhD candidate in the Department of Social Anthropology, University of Cape Town, South Africa and a senior lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Universidade Pedagogica, Mozambique. Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Accepted 05 September, 2019

Abstract

The speculation about the practice of witchcraft has been commonplace in many societies the world over since time immemorial. The complexity of establishing the existence of witchcraft is predicated by hegemonic Western scientism’s preoccupation with empiricism and evidence (through laboratory experiments) that render indigenous African beliefs and value systems inexplicable through the standards of expert science. This is further compounded by colonially-derived African legal systems in Africa that for centuries outlawed witchcraft and relegated as speculation the existence of the practice. However, in recent years in Zimbabwe, anecdotal evidence (for example, witchcraft confessions and witches apprehended bewitching others) pointing to existence of the practice seemed to have put to rest the controversy over the existence of witchcraft. I draw on this evidence, with a view to recast witchcraft debate not necessarily in terms of deliberating its existence, but rather exploring possibilities for reexamining and reengaging witchcraft as a form of an indigenous knowledge system for public good. It is this area that this work quests to contribute-particularly exposing in this twilight zone the different angles from which the practice could be harnessed to foster “ethno-science” and advance knowledge in general.

Key words: Possibilities, witchcraft, indigenous knowledge systems, lessons, Zimbabwe.