The atrocities of the traditional customary practice of “kuripa ngozi”
The African continent has diverse cultural backgrounds and in contemporary Zimbabwean culture, traditional customary practices have a strong foothold and remain an integral part of the everyday lives of many Zimbabweans. In this regard, women in Zimbabwe are still vulnerable to some entrenched customary practices, despite the legal prohibitions which have since been enacted by the Zimbabwe judicial system. Blatant violations of women’s and girls’ human rights are made possible by the maintenance of some of the detrimental and discriminatory customary laws which allow for the continuation of practices, that negatively affect women, and among these persistent practices are:
“KURIPA NGOZI” – The customary practice of offering a young girl or grown woman as compensatory payment in inter-family disputes as well as in the appeasement of avenging deceased spirits. An avenging spirit is appeased by offering a young woman in marriage to the aggrieved spirit in an uncanny and an extraordinary spiritual marriage covenant and the spirit husband is the spiritual manifestation the inevitably follows. Read more
Visions of ailing men in Chenjerai Hove’s ‘Bones’ & Shimmer Chinodya’s ‘Strife’
Professor Robert Muponde
On Thursday 16 October, the 5.30pm Literary Evening at The Book Café extends a warm welcome to Professor Robert Muponde from the Department of English, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Responding to a long-standing invitation by Pamberi Trust, he will make a presentation based on the work of two of Zimbabwe’s best-loved authors, entitled ‘Visions of Ailing Men in Chenjerai Hove’s Bones and Shimmer Chinodya’s Strife.
The paper seeks to explore the ways in which differently placed dystopian masculinities in the two novels help us to think about an evolving narrative of postcolonial Zimbabwe.
Mr Memory Chirere of the UZ Department of English will chair the ensuing discussion. Read more
