DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2015.v03i01.008

Pages: 41-48

Zimbabwe is experiencing an alarming environmental crisis whose origins can be traced back to the colonial era. The pre-colonial Karanga communities had knowledge systems which kept in check environmental degradation. Both colonial and post-colonial governments have tended to relegate the role of Karanga culture in environmental management to the background. The collapse of the Karanga environmental management system, poverty, overcrowding, lack of ownership of natural resources, lack of empowerment of the Karanga community and role conflict between government officers and traditional leaders have resulted in the deterioration of the environmental crisis. The environmental crisis facing the Zimbabwean nation requires a multifaceted approach which takes into account the country’s political, economic , social values and the world views of the Karanga people. This article examines the role Karanga culture can play in the management of wildlife and natural resources. The paper argues and demonstrates that Karanga knowledge systems, if skillfully tapped into, can complement input from western scientific approaches to environmental protection.