June 2009

Rethinking religious encounters in Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe, 1860-1893

  This article provides a new interpretation of the religious encounters that unfolded in Matabeleland region in the period between 1860 and 1893 from the perspective of Gramscian concept of hegemony and John and Jean Comaroff’s concept of cultural and colonial encounters. The focus of the article is on the nature of encounters, uneasy religious dualities, conversations, contestations, blending,...

Author(s): Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni

June 2009

Prospects for the asset-based community development approach in Epworth and Ruwa, Zimbabwe: A housing and environmental perspective

  This paper explores the dynamics of community building and development within the satellite towns to Harare, namely Epworth and Ruwa, based on a comparative analysis of the role of communities in the housing and habitat sector. That the poor are creative, co-operative and constructive in providing for themselves is undoubted. The 2 satellite towns of Epworth and Ruwa exhibit the multi-dimensions of self-aided...

Author(s): Innocent Chirisa

June 2009

Traditional psychiatric healing in Igbo land, Southeastern Nigeria

  In recent times there have been debates among health professionals on the desirability of integrating traditional health practices into orthodox medicine. This thinking was influenced by the resistance of some ailments to the orthodox healing methods as well as the proven efficacy of traditional healing processes in the treatment of some ailments. In Nigeria, the ambience of psychiatric victims or madmen at...

Author(s): Nwoko Kenneth Chukwuemeka