Restoration and Restitution of Cultural Heritage, the Case of the Ndebele Monarch
The Post-colonial Dilemma in Zimbabwe
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22169019 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thomas Panganayi Thondhlana (0000-0003-4790-8457, Great Zimbabwe University), Lesley Hatipone Machiridza (0009-0006-9255-6592, Great Zimbabwe University) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2020-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2513-8243 • E-ISSN: 2513-8243 |
| Publisher | CLOCKSS Archive (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.22599/jachs.71 |
| OpenAlex | W3045914068 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
This article looks at the public debate, mostly in newspaper articles, which followed recent attempts to coronate a king of the Ndebele people in Zimbabwe. The High Court of Zimbabwe declared that it was unconstitutional for the Ndebele royal family to install a king. What ensued was a polarised public debate between those who strongly supported the resuscitation of the pre-colonial monarchy and those who had strong reservations against the move. Pro-monarchists alleged that the cultural rights of the Ndebele people as enshrined in various international human rights protocols as well as the constitution of Zimbabwe were being violated. Whilst those against the revival of the traditional institution claimed that national security was at stake. This case was a litmus test for the post-colonial African nation-state’s commitment to upholding cultural rights of its citizens. In this article we look at the issues associated with the restoration of the Ndebele monarch. We also attempt to establish how the various actors in this issue have deployed cultural heritage in the quest for legitimacy as well as to foster counter narratives. We argue that cultural heritage and cultural revivalism should be harnessed for the common good of society and not incite civil or ethnic strife. Emerging issues from this article are of interest to heritage management theory and its general practice on the African continent
Colonialism · Constitution · Cultural heritage · Human rights · Legitimacy · Political science · Politics · Restitution · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Law
Museums and sites
Pathways to complexity
Nationalism in Africa
Power, Education, And Identity in post-colonial Zimbabwe the fate of King Lobengula Of Matabeleland
Language Planning From Below
The social life of ruins
Naming and renaming of the streets and avenues of Bulawayo
Of prosperity, ghost towns and havens
Between Tradition and Modernity
The Ndebele Kingdom South of the Limpopo River
Nationalist Historiography, Patriotic History and the History of the Nation
The creation and matintenance of national boundaries in Africa
Claims to the Past. A Critical View of the Arguments Driving Repatriation of Cultural Heritage and Their Role in Contemporary Identity Politics
Traditional authority and bargaining for legitimacy in dual legitimacy systems
Ethnicity versus Nationalism
Government and Change in Lesotho, 1800-1966
African Civilizations, Precolonial Cities and States in Tropical Africa
Chiefs and Councils in Rhodesia. Transition from Patriarchal to Bureaucratic Power
Human Rights and Heritage Ethics
Imagined Communities. Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism
Community Involvement in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Management
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |