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| Title: | Cultural Practices Associated with Death in the North Nyanga District of Zimbabwe and Their Impact on Widows and Orphans |
| Authors: | Drew, R.S. Foster, G.  Chitima, J. |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Periodical: | Journal of Social Development in Africa (ISSN 1012-1080) |
| Volume: | 11 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 79-86 |
| Language: | English |
| Notes: | biblio. refs. |
| Geographic terms: | Zimbabwe Southern Africa |
| Subjects: | Shona customary law family law death rites Women's Issues Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Cultural Roles Marital Relations and Nuptiality Health, Nutrition, and Medicine Women and Their Children sociology culture death North Nyanga District (Zimbabwe) Social service |
| Abstract: | This article sketches the cultural practices of the Shona associated with death and their impact on widows and orphans, based on data collected from 211 families in the northern part of Nyanga District, northeastern Zimbabwe, in January 1994. Of the 211 families, 184 had lost the father, 14 the mother, and 13 had lost both. The article considers marriage, patriarchal succession and sickness. It notes that in the Shona world view, where illnesses are seen as the result of witchcraft, strong taboos are associated with planning for arrangements to be made after death. As a result, wills are rarely made, although there are some indications that this is changing. The article also discusses property and wife inheritance. It concludes that it is unclear what pattern of care and support for widows is emerging to replace the declining practice of wife inheritance. The implications of various cultural practices for the planning of effective intervention strategies are considered. Bibliogr., sum. |
