To engage or not to: That’s the question - Safeguarding cultural heritage from a predatory and poisoned environment

Abstract

This paper engages with the issue of predatory academics who through the need for patents and discoveries have become voracious cannibals that have carried out research in local communities and in the process have plundered not only the local cultural goods of the communities but also their faith in academics. It argues that in an effort to get a scoop for themselves and their universities, some academics have in actual fact created a poisoned chalice. The paper notes that the atmosphere has in addition become soured by greed such that scholars are more interested in perceived windfalls that may come their way if they are to successfully come up with major discoveries, especially in the areas of medicinal flora and fauna. This has seen communities not being prepared to share knowledge relating to cultural goods that are under their custody because previous academic visitors have extracted knowledge from them but they have not seen themselves benefitting. The paper thus posits that such rapacious and grasping behaviour by some academics is a threat to the safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage since some people have now become sceptical in engaging with some of these dons. In addition to the need to honestly engage communities, the paper also laments that fact that academic institutions in Zimbabwe are a disjointed lot that is in competition with one another instead of embracing the cooperative spirit that is informed by ubuntu/unhu, and not the umbimbindoga (go it alone) syndrome. It as well submits the argument that institutions of higher learning, government arms like National Archives and National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe also need to work together as well as with those in industry to explore ways of extracting maximum benefits from Zimbabwe’s heritage in all its manifestations and in the process explore ways of safeguarding and enhancing its value.