Southeastern parts of Zimbabwe lie in drought-stricken agricultural region five, characterised by low and erratic rainfall patterns. To realise food security people in the region have resorted to growing drought resistant crops such as sorghum. The recent observations are that the success of sorghum as a drought resistant crop is accompanied by ambivalence as some people view the crop to be unsuitable as a staple food while others rely on it to cope with food insecurity. Some families have resorted to farming cash crops such as cotton and use the dividends to buy maize meal as the staple food. However, recently some farmers have started intensive production of uninga, an indigenous crop which had almost become extinct among the Ndau people (an ethnic grouping of Ndau-speaking) of southeastern Zimbabwe. The production of this crop is under-researched and understudied in Zimbabwe. To fill this lacuna, we adopted a participatory case study research approach to explore the nature and scope of uninga production. An Afrocentric-postcolonial lens was employed to investigate the factors for its resurgence after decades of absence in the agricultural crop basket. We found that the crop which used to be largely cultivated by women in the past, had become a 'must-plant' crop for all gender owing to its high demand on the market, especially in Mozambique.

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Renaissance studies continue to grow in post-colonial Africa. This study explores the Ndau culture in a bid to assess its vitality and relevance to contemporary society's water technology in Zimbabwe. The thesis of the study posits that the Ndau people have indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) that can be tapped in the implementation of water resource management. Some Ndau beliefs and practices on water resources can be used as environmental management tools in order to do justice to climate change. These, if blended with western technologies, can be effective intervention strategies to mitigate the challenges posed by climate change. The study adopted a qualitative research design in a case study approach. Purposive sampling was used to select community elders and traditional practitioners who are associated with the in-depth knowledge on traditional beliefs and practices. The data collection techniques included interviews, participant observations and documentary analysis. The study observed that the particular Ndau cultural beliefs and practices that are not only relevant but consistent with water technological changes and these must be strengthened as part of a people's heritage.

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