Page 71 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 19

Community Re-Education

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS

IN TOURISM

By Memory Phiri, Zimbabwe.

e cannot talk about circles as a traditional measure. of the dam which was meant to
tourism without Seeing is believing, and most people generate electricity for the country.
mentioning the can attest to the fact that IKS are in As a result, the chiefs and tradition-
Windigenous knowl- harmony with tourism operations, al healers around the area had to
edge systems that surround most, to a greater extent. perform a ceremony to appease the
if not all, destinations; as there is river god, in an attempt to build the
history behind everything in this Kariba Dam dam wall without hassles, in order to
life. Indigenous knowledge systems As a man-made dam and attraction, ensure everything went according to
(IKS) are the ingrained non-exotic Kariba made its mark when it comes plan. This is because they had come
knowhow of a country, or people, to IKS. This is seen by the fact that to the conclusion that without doing
that sets them apart from others. the construction of the dam wall so, their plans were proving to be
IKS are said to be superstitions that went through a lot of speculation fruitless because the Nyami Nyami
center on oral tradition mostly from as the workers got into trouble with would time and again destroy the
history custodians, but l believe that the Nyami Nyami. This is a river bridge. At one point that they had to
where there is smoke there is fire, god, dear readers, in the form of engage the help of the local chiefs
so IKS plays a humongous role in a snake. It was said to live in the for a solution. In fact, even in the
the preservation and conservation dam, thus it did refute the building Project Management of construc-

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