Zimbabwe and UNESCO Launch National Initiative to Protect Intangible Cultural Heritage (2025–2026)

Khoshnaw Rahmani, Jadetimes Staff

K. Rahmani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering culture.

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Image Source: Matesu Dube

1. Introduction: A Landmark Partnership

In January 2025, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and UNESCO formally inaugurated a two-year programme to safeguard the country’s intangible cultural heritage (ICH). This joint initiative will:

• Raise public awareness of living traditions

• Strengthen legal and institutional frameworks

• Empower communities and traditional leaders as custodians

The launch ceremony in Harare drew government officials, tribal elders, heritage experts, and UNESCO representatives—underscoring a shared determination to shield Zimbabwe’s ancestral wisdom from the twin pressures of globalization and urban migration.

2. Understanding Intangible Cultural Heritage

According to the 2003 UNESCO Convention, intangible cultural heritage encompasses:

• Oral traditions and expressions, including storytelling, proverbs, and rituals

• Performing arts, such as music, dance, and theatre

• Social practices, rituals, and festive events, like rain-making ceremonies

• Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, for example medicinal plant lore

• Traditional craftsmanship, from basketry to textile weaving

Unlike monuments or historic sites, ICH is living heritage—transmitted across generations, constantly evolving, and deeply woven into community identity.

3. A History of Zimbabwe’s ICH Preservation Efforts

Zimbabwe’s journey toward safeguarding intangible heritage spans nearly four decades:

• 1985: Enactment of the National Museums and Monuments Act, which laid groundwork for cultural protection beyond archaeology and architecture.

• 2003: Adoption of UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• 2006: Ratification of the Convention by Zimbabwe, enabling formal alignment of national policies with UNESCO standards.

• 2008: Inscription of the Mbende Jerusarema dance on UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH, the first Zimbabwean element recognized globally.

• 2010: Listing of the art of crafting and playing the Mbira/Sansi lamellophone, highlighting the central role of music in Shona and Tonga cultures.

• 2013: Submission of Zimbabwe’s first periodic report on ICH implementation, marking an institutional commitment to ongoing monitoring.

• 2022: Revision of the National Cultural Policy to integrate ICH mapping, community audits, and youth engagement programmes.

• 2025: Launch of the Awareness-Raising Project (2025–2026) in partnership with UNESCO, targeting traditional leaders, educators, and local councils.

These milestones trace Zimbabwe’s evolution from protecting built heritage to recognizing the urgent need to preserve living traditions before they fade.

4. Zimbabwe’s Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Comprehensive Overview

Zimbabwe’s ICH reflects its ethnic diversity, ecological variety, and historical depth:

1.    Music & Instruments

o   Mbira/Sansi: “Thumb pianos” used in spiritual ceremonies and storytelling.

o   Drum traditions: From the Ndebele ingoma drum ensembles to Tonga rain-calling rhythms.

2.    Dance Forms

o   Mbende Jerusarema: High-energy pelvic dance of the Zezuru people, symbolizing communal resilience.

o   Isitshikitsha: Ndebele foot-stamping dances at weddings and harvest festivals.

3.    Oral Traditions & Storytelling

o   Mbudzi narratives: Folktales featuring the clever ram (“mbudzi”) impart moral lessons.

o   Praise poetry (izibongo & madanangawo): Recitations extolling chiefs, heroes, and lineage.

4.    Social Practices & Rituals

o   Rain-making ceremonies: Pilgrimages to Matobo Hills, led by spirit mediums invoking ancestral rains.

o   Rites of passage: Shona initiation (“graveside rituals”) and Ndebele “gudo” puberty rites.

5.    Traditional Knowledge Systems

o   Ethnobotany: Use of indigenous flora—msasa, mukura—for medicine and cosmic harmony.

o   Totemic kinship: Animal- and plant-based clan identities guiding dietary taboos and conservation.

6.    Craftsmanship & Material Culture

o   Basket weaving: Makwe baskets of Masvingo, famed for geometric patterns and resilience.

o   Textile arts: Shweshwe cloth adaptations and hand-woven mbira covers.

Each element is sustained by Knowledge Bearers—elders, spirit mediums, artisans—whose mentorship and apprenticeship programmes form the backbone of intergenerational transmission.

5. Community Engagement & Education

A core tenet of the 2025–2026 initiative is integrating ICH into daily life:

• Heritage-Based Curriculum: Pilot modules in primary and secondary schools teaching local dances, songs, and crafts.

• Community Archives: Support for village-level audio-visual documentation, preserving dialects and oral histories.

• Cultural Festivals: District-wide events featuring Mbira jamborees, Jerusarema showcases, and storytelling marathons.

• Traditional Leadership Forums: Workshops for chiefs and headmen on legal protections and rights under the 2003 Convention.

By embedding heritage into classrooms and community centres, Zimbabwe aims to combat rural-urban drift and kindle youth pride in ancestral roots.

6. Comparative Perspective: Regional and Global Initiatives

Zimbabwe’s strategy aligns with—and often leads—similar programmes across Southern Africa:

Country	UNESCO ICH Inscriptions	Key Initiatives
Zambia	Makishi masquerade (2021)	Province-led festivals; school outreach in Luapula
Mozambique	Timbila music (2019), Nyau dance (2008)	Mobile ICH units; radio programmes in Makua languages
South Africa	Isicathamiya music (2008)	National Heritage Council grants; community-run academies
Botswana	Tsutsube dance (pending)	Draft national ICH policy; heritage mapping pilot
Namibia	Oshituthi/Shikatembwa dance (2014)	Cross-border ICH in education; UNESCO-funded surveys

Zimbabwe’s two inscriptions, combined with a nationwide preservation drive, position it as a model for mid-sized heritage agencies balancing limited budgets with expansive cultural landscapes.

7. Threats and Challenges

Despite progress, Zimbabwe’s ICH faces multiple pressures:

• Globalization & Media: Western pop culture eclipsing local music and dance.

• Urbanization: Rural exodus dilutes community-based practices, especially in peri-urban Harare.

• Economic Hardship: Artisans and performers often juggle survival work, limiting time for heritage transmission.

• Language Loss: Decline in smaller dialects (Tonga, Shangaan) reduces oral tradition diversity.

• Climate Change: Erratic rainfall and drought disrupt agricultural rituals and harvest festivals.

Addressing these requires multisectoral collaboration, from tourism boards to telecom operators, ensuring ICH remains both viable and visible.

8. Digital Safeguarding & Innovation

Harnessing technology amplifies heritage reach:

• Virtual Heritage Atlas: An interactive map of ICH sites, events, and repositories.

• Mobile Story Apps: Audio-narrated folktales in Shona, Ndebele, and minority languages.

• Digital Dance Archives: High-definition recordings of Jerusarema troupes, annotated by culture bearers.

• Online Craft Marketplaces: E-commerce platforms selling baskets, mbira, and beadwork directly from artisans.

These digital tools not only preserve practices but also create revenue streams, incentivizing custodianship among younger generations.

9. Timeline: Pillars of Zimbabwe’s ICH Safeguarding

Year	Milestone
1985	National Museums and Monuments Act establishes heritage protection framework
2003	UNESCO Convention for ICH adopted by Member States
2006	Zimbabwe ratifies ICH Convention
2008	Mbende Jerusarema dance inscribed on UNESCO ICH List
2010	Mbira/Sansi craftsmanship and playing inscribed
2013	Submission of first periodic ICH report
2022	National Cultural Policy updated to mainstream ICH mapping
2025	Launch of Joint Zimbabwe-UNESCO ICH Safeguarding Initiative
2026	Completion of community audits and heritage-education rollout

10. Charting a Sustainable Future

Zimbabwe’s 2025–2026 initiative represents a watershed moment—transforming policy into practice, and reactive conservation into proactive celebration. By weaving ICH into education, leveraging digital innovation, and forging regional partnerships, the country is crafting a blueprint for living heritage resilience. The success of this programme will not only safeguard Mbira tunes and Jerusarema beats but will affirm Zimbabwe’s cultural sovereignty and inspire emerging stewards of its ancestral legacy.