Ubuntu as an African ethic has been embraced in Africa as one that defines an individual�s African-ness. Its influence has gone beyond the African borders with other continents pondering how it can be embraced in their contexts. Scholars from Africa and beyond have eulogised the indispensability of ubuntu. However, it is a fact that most academic writings on the concept by various scholars have neglected to look at ubuntu and how it intersects with gender � especially with a particular focus on its ambivalence in the lives of women in Africa. This article, therefore, seeks to make a critical reflection on the ambivalence of the concept focussing mainly on the cultural traditions of the Shona of Zimbabwe from the perspective of a womanist.

No abstract

Traditionally, amongst the Shona of Zimbabwe environmental conservation was greatly tied to their religious beliefs. The use of taboos was meant to regulate the way natural resources were utilised. Academic scholars have noted how taboos played a crucial role not in only promoting environmental conservation but also in punishing those who would degrade the environment. Appealing to the sacred was a useful tool in ensuring adherence to the socioreligious beliefs that were meant to maintain sustainability within the environment. That colonialism tampered to a certain extent with these beliefs is well documented. Within the Zimbabwean context, the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) of 2000 seems to have had a negative impact on what was left of the taboos amongst the various Shona ethnic groups. It is the contention of this chapter that the FTLRP has had the effect of 'sedating' the sacred, as people have violated the taboos related to the environment with impunity. The focus of this chapter is to find out if a process of reawakening the sacred amongst the Shona would help in promoting the kind of land ownership that is closely linked to environmental conservation, which would in turn eventually lead to sustainable development for Zimbabwean communities. In this endeavour, the critical role of women in environmental conservation needs some interrogation. The chapter is a desktop study, hence it draws largely on secondary sources. Ecowomanism will be used as the theoretical framework informing this study.

Homosexuality in Zimbabwe often evokes strong reactions. Due to a tradition of silence, the topic largely continues to be taboo. However, it has been used by some politicians and church leaders to strengthen arguments and to denounce opponents. It is against this background that The Hairdresser of Harare (Huchu, 2010) ought to be understood. The novel gives helpful clues into discourses on homosexuality in contemporary Zimbabwe. This article analyzes the author's approach to the subject and critiques it. It maintains that the author's view on homosexuality has been limited by attaching the theme to postcolonial politics and violence. However, the article appreciates his courage in exploring the theme.

Zimbabwe's political history from 2000 to the present epoch has been characterized by violence. This violence reached its peak in 2008 when ZANU