Two prominent Zimbabwean culture curators, Lovemore and Chido Kuwana, have launched a groundbreaking book that celebrates and preserves Zimbabwe’s rich cultural heritage.
By Dickson Bandera
Titled “Engage Zimbabwe,” the 200-page A4 volume is available in hard copy and will soon be accessible on Amazon.
The book explores the cultural narratives of Zimbabwe’s sixteen ethnic groups, starting with an in-depth focus on the Shona people, the country’s largest ethnic group.
The Kuwana brothers have announced that Volume 2 will spotlight the Ndebele people, with the goal of eventually covering all ethnic groups in the country.
This ambitious project stands as a testament to Zimbabwe’s diverse and vibrant cultural landscape, offering readers a chance to rediscover the country’s shared heritage.
Produced under the banner of their Harare-based organization, Kuwana Media & Culture Consultants, the book seeks to tell Zimbabwe’s cultural story from a local perspective.
We want to tell our own story from our own shoes,” says Lovemore Kuwana, emphasizing their commitment to authenticity in narrating Zimbabwe’s heritage.
The book features beautiful illustrations that are warm and inviting, with visuals sourced locally, some of which were taken directly from the author’s residence in Rusape.
Engage Zimbabwe covers a broad spectrum of essential cultural topics, from Traditional Economics and Symbols of Wealth, where it highlights the value of cattle and other assets in early societies, to Traditional Ways of Telling Time and Seasons. It also delves into the Cultural Value and Uses of Indigenous Trees and Plants, with a particular focus on their medicinal significance.
Addressing modern environmental concerns, the book explores Cultural Ways of Preventing Climate Change through traditional wildlife and resource management practices. It also sheds light on the Early Indigenous Religion and Spiritual System, featuring key Religious Rites of Passage like the Kurova Guva ritual, which plays a central role in ancestral veneration.
The book brings modern relevance to the conversation by examining Cultural & Technology, focusing on emerging careers in the heritage industry and the Evolution of Zimbabwean Culture in the face of globalization. It also highlights Contemporary Restorative Measures to preserve cultural traditions, using Cultural Intelligence Metrics to assess Zimbabwe’s position in global cultural dynamics.
Additionally, the book tackles the Threat to Indigenous Languages, stressing the importance of Proverbs, Idioms, and Naming Animals in maintaining linguistic heritage, while offering a General Comparison of Culture Differences to underscore Zimbabwe’s unique cultural identity.
The authors noted the growing urgency to reclaim the Zimbabwean story due to years of misrepresentation. Oral traditions, which have been the primary means of transmitting Zimbabwean culture, are vulnerable to distortion. With the aging population, the risk of losing this cultural heritage increases as the elderly, who are the main custodians of this knowledge, pass away.
The loss of elderly individuals represents a significant loss of cultural knowledge. This shift risks disconnecting younger generations from ancestral wisdom, while distorted narratives further alienate them from their heritage.
The Kuwana brothers aim to counter these trends by offering a fresh perspective on Zimbabwe’s vibrant cultural identity. In addition to celebrating heritage, “Engage Zimbabwe” serves as a tool for Cultural Intelligence and modern diplomacy, using culture as a form of soft power to strengthen international relations.
The book acts as a mirror for Zimbabweans to reconnect with their identity and as a window for the global community to discover the rich, authentic narratives of Zimbabwe, long overshadowed by misinformation.”
Through this ambitious project, the Kuwana brothers seek to preserve and promote Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage in a creative, engaging way, encouraging society to appreciate and engage with their roots.
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