Indigenous Nature-Based Solutions: Ethics for Ecological Sustainability among the Vhavenḓa People in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Tshivenḓa taboos are often ignored when it comes to issues of sustainability because they are considered primitive, useless, and backward. This failure to recognise taboos as effective strategies for managing and protecting the natural environment has contributed to environmental degradation. The natural environment, including soil, vegetation, water, air, and wildlife, has historically received proper care from religious and cultural perspectives. In many rural areas where traditional beliefs remain strong, the environment remains fairly intact. However, significant environmental losses have been reported in areas where these cultural and religious beliefs are seen as useless. Though Tshivenḓa taboos have often been dismissed as primitive, they are effective indigenous tools for conserving natural resources and promoting ecological sustainability.  However, scholarly attention remains limited as far as Tshivenḓa taboos’ contribution to the conservation of the natural environment for sustainability is concerned. Against this background this article aims to explore the effectiveness of Tshivenḓa taboos in protecting and managing natural resources for sustainability within the Tshivenḓa community in Beitbridge East, Tshaswingo Village 39 area. The Sankofa theory provides the theoretical framework for the study. By applying Sankofa theory, it frames these taboos as cultural memory and a resource for future development, linking folklore to decolonisation and environmental ethics. Qualitative research methods underpinned this study; the study subjects were the Vhavenda people, and the data-collection tools were interviews, group discussions, and observations. Non-probability sampling and its subtype snowball sampling were used, and a small sample size was chosen to avoid too much data. Data was analysed through thematic analysis. The findings expose that Tshivenḓa taboos are an effective traditional conservation tool used to regulate access to resources and protect natural areas, but further research is needed in different contexts. The study’s significance lies in its effort to document and analyse specific taboos in their original language, preserving intangible cultural heritage while expanding the geographical scope of research on African ecological taboos beyond West Africa and Madagascar. Furthermore, the article contributes to the discourse on sustainable development by highlighting the relevance of traditional conservation practices in contemporary environmental management. It also addresses a gap in scholarly attention regarding Tshivenḓa taboos, suggesting that further research in diverse contexts could enhance understanding of indigenous nature-based solutions and their potential role in broader conservation strategies.