An investigation of indigenous knowledge systems as a survival strategy for the displaced Tokwe Mukosi flood Victims in Chingwizi Camp, Zimbabwe = Uphenyo lwezinhlelo zolwazi lwendabuko njengesu lokuzisindisa/lokuziphilisa kwabantu baseChingwizi Camp abasuka ezindaweni zabo emva kokuhlaselwa yizikhukhula zase Tokwe Mukosi, eZimbabwe.

Abstract

The study was a sociological investigation of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) as a survival strategy for the displaced Tokwe Mukosi flood victims at Chingwizi Camp in Zimbabwe. The study focused on the use and application of IKS by the displaced Shona-speaking people who were controversially settled at Chingwizi following the induced displacements. Of paramount importance is the argument that IKS is a better home-grown and local survival strategy and skills to cope, correct and provide a remedy to the predicament that the displaced Tokwe Mukosi flood victims are currently facing as a result of the unplanned relocation which led to the dismantling of the victim’s livelihoods. Thus, reports on the Chingwizi camp have often badly undermined human rationality and this attitude calls for immediate attention and hence needs urgent correction. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology and utilised key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, documentary evidence and individual experiences. The study purposively selected twenty (20) Shona-speaking people who were involuntarily displaced from Tokwe Mukosi and controversially settled at Chingwizi Camp in Mwenezi district, southern Zimbabwe. No matter how bad the Chingwizi camp situation could be, reason has the power to invent and change the bad nature of the Chingwizi environment into a good, liveable and affordable state. It emerged from the study that IKSs have remained the most valuable resource owned by rural people for sustainable development. The study established that most of the IKSs in Chingwizi community have been fully utilised, functioning as a guide for addressing challenges associated with people in all dimensions or facets of life, for instance, in health where they rely on traditional medicine. IKSs have been recognised and fully utilised by the Chingwizi community as they were found to be capable of providing moral guidelines against the current development challenges. Based on the information collected from the twenty (20) respondents and twelve (12) key informants which includes, traditional authorities, institutions like health, education, and churches among others, the study concluded that the use and application of IKS had significantly contributed to circumventing the socio-economic challenges confronting the flood victims in Chingwizi Camp.

Iqoqa.

Lolu cwaningo luwuphenyo lwezenhlalo yomphakathi olumayelana nezinhlelo zolwazi lwendabuko olwaziwa nge-Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) ekuziphiliseni kwabantu abashiya izindawo zabo eTokwe Mukosi emva kwezikhukhula bazithola sebehlala eChingwizi Camp eZimbabwe. Ucwaningo lwagxila ekusebenzeni kanye nasekusetshenzisweni kwe-IKS yilabo bantu abangamaShona ababekwa eChingwizi ngendlela eyasusa umsindo emva kokususwa kwabo ezindaweni zabo ngezizathu ezazidalwe ngenhloso. Okubaluleke kakhulu yinkolelo yokuthi i-IKS yilona lisu elaziwayo kubantu lokuziphilisa kanye namakhono okubhekana nesimo, ukulungisa kanye nokuveza ikhambi kule nkinga ababhekene nayo njengamanje abantu abahlukunyezwa yizikhukhula zaseTokwe Mukosi ngenxa yokuthuthelwa endaweni entsha ngokungenhloso yabo kwagcina sekuthikamezeke izindlela zabo zokuziphilisa. Ngakho-ke, imibiko emayelana neChingwizi Camp ayethuli isithombe esihle ngokucabanga kahle kwabantu, kanti lokhu kwenza ukuthi kube nesidingo sokungenelela okusheshayo okusho ukuthi kudingeka ukulungiswa kwesimo okusheshayo.. Ucwaningo lwasebenzisa indlelakwenza yokucwaninga eyikhwalithethivu futhi yasebenzisa izingxoxo nabanolwazi, izingxoxo ezijulile, izingxoxo namaqoqo acwaningwayo, ubufakazi obusemiqulwini kanye nezimo zokuphila kwabantu ngamunye. Abacwaningi bakhetha ngenhloso abantu abakhuluma isiShona abangamashumi amabili (20) abususwa ngenkani eTokwe Mukosi bahlaliswa eChingwizi Camp esifundeni saseMwenezi, eningizimu yeZimbabwe ngendlela eyasusa umsindo. Akukhathalekile ukuthi isimo saseChingwini Camp sibi kangakanani kepha ukucabanga ngobuhlakani kunamandla okuthola izindlela ezintsha ezingaguqula ububi bendawo yaseChingwizi kube yinto enhle. Kwavela ocwaningweni i-IKS iseloku iyinsiza ebalulekile kubantu basemakhaya ekuzithuthukiseni okusimeme. Ucwaningo lwathola ukuthi okuningi kwe-IKS emphakathini waseChingwizi kusetshenziswe njengomhlahlandlela wokubhekana nezinselelo ezikhungethe abantu ezinhleni ezahlukahlukene zempilo, njengezempilo lapho kuthenjelwa khona emithini yendabuko. Ama-IKS amukelwe futhi asetshenziswa umphakathi waseChingwizi ngoba ayakwazi ukunikeza inkombandlela yokuphathwa kwezimilo ngaphansi kwezinselelo zempilo yamanje. Olwazini olwatholakala kwabaphendulayo abangamashumi amabili (20) kanye nabanolwazi abayishumi nambili (12) okukhona kubo abasekhundleni zendabuko, izinhlangano/izikhungo zezempilo, ezemfundo, kanye namasonto, ucwaningo lwafika esiphethweni sokuthi ukusebenza kanye nokusetshenziswa kwe-IKS kunegalelo elibalulekile ekugwemeni izinselelo zezenhlalo-mnotho ababhekene nazo abantu baseChingwizi Camp abahlukunyezwa yizikhukhula.