Resilience of African Kinship Values amidst COVID-19 Pandemic Disruptions in Masvingo and Bikita Districts, Zimbabwe
Main Article Content
Keywords
African kinship values, COVID-19, resilience, social disruption theory, Zimbabwe
Abstract
This article sought to explore the extent to which African kinship values remained resilient amidst COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in the Masvingo and Bikita districts, Zimbabwe. The study was guided by the social disruption theory. Adopting a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study used key informant interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and a review of available literature to gather data. The research’s main finding was that African kinship values were disrupted, but by and large, the communities were resilient to the COVID-19 pandemic-induced restrictions from March 2020 to June 2022. The paper argues that whilst discomfort and uncertainty were a litmus test for the efficacy of African kinship values and principles, the communities in Masvingo and Bikita districts redefined their values, sense of belonging, and emotional well-being across the gender divide in temporal and spatial spheres. It can be concluded that the African kinship value system played a critical role in integrating health and social care systems in the Masvingo and Bikita districts.
Article Metrics Graph
References
Asamoah-Gyadu, J. Kwabena. 2015. “‘We are on the Internet’: Contemporary Pentecostalism in Africa and the New Culture of Online Religion.” In New Media and Religious Transformations in Africa, edited by Rosalind I.J. Hackett and Benjamin Soares. Indiana University Press.
Banana, Sodindo Canaan. 1991. Come and Share: An Introduction to Christian Theology. Mambo Press.
Chitando, Ezra. 2007. Living with Hope: African Churches and HIV/AIDS 1. World Council of Churches.
De Coning, Cedric, Ramadeen Marisha, and Rupiya, Martin. 2020. “COVID-19 Has Revealed an Africa Characterised by Resilience Rather than Conflict.” ACCORD. Accessed November 29, 2025. https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/covid-19-has-revealed-an-africa-characterised-by-resilience-rather-than-conflict/.
Dube, Edmore. 2022. “The Influence of Health Perceptions on Zimbabwe Muslim Responses to COVID-19 Restrictions over Ramadan, Pilgrimages and Funeral Rites in 2020.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, edited by Fortune, Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge.
Etikan, Ilker, Musa, Sulaiman A., and Rukayya, and Rukayya S. Alkassim. 2016. “Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling.” American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics 5 (1): 1–4.
Ewuoso, Cornelius. 2021. “An African Relational Approach to Healthcare and Big Data Challenges.” Science and Engineering Ethics 27 (3): 34 pages. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-021-00313-w.
Jecker, Nancy S., Caesar A. Atuire, and Nora Kenworthy. 2022. “Realizing Ubuntu in Global Health: An African Approach to Global Health Justice.” Public Health Ethics 15 (3): 256–67. https://doi.org/10.1093/phe/phac022.
Kagola, Frieda, and William Abur. 2023. “Leveraging Ubuntu Values and Principles as Cultural Strength to Overcome Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Issues.” African Journal of Social Work 13 (6): 312–24. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i6.5.
Khosa-Nkatini, Hundzukani P., and Peter White. 2021. “Restriction of Burial Rites during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An African Liturgical and Missional Challenge.” HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 77 (4). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v77i4.6756.
Layefa, Goodluck, Ngozi Ezenagu, and Julianah Esoso-Agbor. 2022. “Revisiting Kinship in Contemporary West African Societies: The Case of Role-Relationship.” F1000Research 11 (August): 965. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.76054.1.
Levin, Jeff. 2001. God, Faith, and Health: Exploring the Spirituality-Healing Connection. John Wiley and Sons.
Long, Emily, Susan Patterson, Karen Maxwell, et al. 2022. “COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Social Relationships and Health.” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 76 (2): 128–32. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2021-216690.
Maseno, Loreen, and Sibanda Fortune. 2024. “Securitization of COVID-19 and the Imagination of Post-COVID-19 Burial Ceremonies in Kenya and Zimbabwe.” In Zimbabwe in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Reflections, Lessons and the Future of Public Health, edited by E. Mavengano, T. Marevesa, and E. Jakaza. Routledge.
Mazrui, Ali, A. 2004. “The African Renaissance: A Triple Legacy of Skills, Values and Gender.” In South Africa and Africa: Reflections on the African Renaissance, edited by Adebayo Adedeji. African Renaissance Institute.
Mbiti, John Samuel. 1969. African Religions and Philosophy. Heinemann.
Moen, Phyllis. 2022. “The Uneven Stress of Social Change: Disruptions, Disparities, and Mental Health.” Society and Mental Health 12 (2): 85–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/21568693221100171.
Muyambo, Tenson. 2022. “Social Distancing in the Context of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, 1st ed., by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003241096-3.
Muyambo, Tenson, Sibanda Fortune, and Chitando Ezra. 2024[a]. “Introduction: Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe.” In Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe, edited by Tenson Muyambo, Fortune Sibanda, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge Studies on Religion in Africa and the Diaspora. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003388630.
Muyambo, Tenson, Josiah Taru, and Sibanda, Fortune. 2024[b]. “Situating Mainline Christian
Churches’ Responses to COVID-19 Vaccination in Masvingo and Bikita Districts, Zimbabwe.” In Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe, edited by Tenson Muyambo, Fortune Sibanda, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge Studies on Religion in Africa and the Diaspora. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003388630.
Ndlovu, Sambulo. 2024. “Ndebele Funeral Rites and COVID-19: Deciphering Public Health in Spirituality.” In Zimbabwe in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Reflections, Lessons and the Future of Public Health, edited by Esther Mavengano, Tobias Marevesa, and Ernest Jakaza. Routledge.
Olabimtan, Kehinde. 2003. “‘Is Africa Incurably Religious?’ II: A Response to Jan Platvoet and Henk Van Rinsum.” Exchange 32 (4): 322–39.
Palinkas, Lawrence A., Sarah M. Horwitz, Carla A. Green, Jennifer P. Wisdom, Naihua Duan, and Kimberly Hoagwood. 2015. “Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research.” Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 42 (5): 533–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y.
Platvoet, Jan, and Van Rinsum, Henk. 2003. “Is Africa Incurably Religious? Confessing and Contexting an Invention.” Exchange 32 (2): 123–53.
Ratau, Nelson S., Ntsofa C. Monyela, and Neo R. Mofokeng. 2021. “Re-Imagining Funerary Rites in the Context of Covid-19.” Pharos Journal of Theology 102 (2): 20 pages. https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.102215.
Sibanda, Fortune, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. 2022. “Introduction: Religion and Public Health in the Shadow of COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, 1st ed., by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003241096-1.
Sibanda, Fortune. 2022. “Repositioning the Agency of Rastafari in the Context of COVID-19 Crisis in Zimbabwe and Malawi.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, 1st ed., by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003241096-15.
Sipeyiye, Macloud. 2022. “Coping with the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Resources from Ndau Indigenous Religion.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, edited by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge.
Taringa, Beatrice, and Sophia Chirongoma. 2024. “Karanga-Shona Funeral and Post Funeral Rites Beyond the COVID-19 Era: A Case Study of the VaDuma in Bikita, Zimbabwe.” In Zimbabwe in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Reflections, Lessons and the Future of Public Health, edited by Esther Mavengano, Tobias Marevesa, and Ernest Jakaza. Routledge.
Tomkins, Leah. 2017. “Using Interpretative Phenomenological Psychology in Organisational Research with Working Carers.” In Applied Qualitative Research in Psychology, edited by J. Brook and N. King. Palgrave.
Vergura, Donata Tania, Beatrice Luceri, and Cristina Zerbini. 2021. “The Role of Social Networks During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Real-Life Social Distancing Vs Virtual Interactions.” International Journal of Business and Management 16 (5): 133. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v16n5p133.
Walby, Sylvia. 2021. “The COVID Pandemic and Social Theory: Social Democracy and Public Health in the Crisis.” European Journal of Social Theory 24 (1): 22–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431020970127.
Banana, Sodindo Canaan. 1991. Come and Share: An Introduction to Christian Theology. Mambo Press.
Chitando, Ezra. 2007. Living with Hope: African Churches and HIV/AIDS 1. World Council of Churches.
De Coning, Cedric, Ramadeen Marisha, and Rupiya, Martin. 2020. “COVID-19 Has Revealed an Africa Characterised by Resilience Rather than Conflict.” ACCORD. Accessed November 29, 2025. https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/covid-19-has-revealed-an-africa-characterised-by-resilience-rather-than-conflict/.
Dube, Edmore. 2022. “The Influence of Health Perceptions on Zimbabwe Muslim Responses to COVID-19 Restrictions over Ramadan, Pilgrimages and Funeral Rites in 2020.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, edited by Fortune, Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge.
Etikan, Ilker, Musa, Sulaiman A., and Rukayya, and Rukayya S. Alkassim. 2016. “Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling.” American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics 5 (1): 1–4.
Ewuoso, Cornelius. 2021. “An African Relational Approach to Healthcare and Big Data Challenges.” Science and Engineering Ethics 27 (3): 34 pages. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-021-00313-w.
Jecker, Nancy S., Caesar A. Atuire, and Nora Kenworthy. 2022. “Realizing Ubuntu in Global Health: An African Approach to Global Health Justice.” Public Health Ethics 15 (3): 256–67. https://doi.org/10.1093/phe/phac022.
Kagola, Frieda, and William Abur. 2023. “Leveraging Ubuntu Values and Principles as Cultural Strength to Overcome Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Issues.” African Journal of Social Work 13 (6): 312–24. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i6.5.
Khosa-Nkatini, Hundzukani P., and Peter White. 2021. “Restriction of Burial Rites during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An African Liturgical and Missional Challenge.” HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 77 (4). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v77i4.6756.
Layefa, Goodluck, Ngozi Ezenagu, and Julianah Esoso-Agbor. 2022. “Revisiting Kinship in Contemporary West African Societies: The Case of Role-Relationship.” F1000Research 11 (August): 965. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.76054.1.
Levin, Jeff. 2001. God, Faith, and Health: Exploring the Spirituality-Healing Connection. John Wiley and Sons.
Long, Emily, Susan Patterson, Karen Maxwell, et al. 2022. “COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Social Relationships and Health.” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 76 (2): 128–32. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2021-216690.
Maseno, Loreen, and Sibanda Fortune. 2024. “Securitization of COVID-19 and the Imagination of Post-COVID-19 Burial Ceremonies in Kenya and Zimbabwe.” In Zimbabwe in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Reflections, Lessons and the Future of Public Health, edited by E. Mavengano, T. Marevesa, and E. Jakaza. Routledge.
Mazrui, Ali, A. 2004. “The African Renaissance: A Triple Legacy of Skills, Values and Gender.” In South Africa and Africa: Reflections on the African Renaissance, edited by Adebayo Adedeji. African Renaissance Institute.
Mbiti, John Samuel. 1969. African Religions and Philosophy. Heinemann.
Moen, Phyllis. 2022. “The Uneven Stress of Social Change: Disruptions, Disparities, and Mental Health.” Society and Mental Health 12 (2): 85–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/21568693221100171.
Muyambo, Tenson. 2022. “Social Distancing in the Context of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, 1st ed., by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003241096-3.
Muyambo, Tenson, Sibanda Fortune, and Chitando Ezra. 2024[a]. “Introduction: Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe.” In Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe, edited by Tenson Muyambo, Fortune Sibanda, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge Studies on Religion in Africa and the Diaspora. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003388630.
Muyambo, Tenson, Josiah Taru, and Sibanda, Fortune. 2024[b]. “Situating Mainline Christian
Churches’ Responses to COVID-19 Vaccination in Masvingo and Bikita Districts, Zimbabwe.” In Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe, edited by Tenson Muyambo, Fortune Sibanda, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge Studies on Religion in Africa and the Diaspora. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003388630.
Ndlovu, Sambulo. 2024. “Ndebele Funeral Rites and COVID-19: Deciphering Public Health in Spirituality.” In Zimbabwe in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Reflections, Lessons and the Future of Public Health, edited by Esther Mavengano, Tobias Marevesa, and Ernest Jakaza. Routledge.
Olabimtan, Kehinde. 2003. “‘Is Africa Incurably Religious?’ II: A Response to Jan Platvoet and Henk Van Rinsum.” Exchange 32 (4): 322–39.
Palinkas, Lawrence A., Sarah M. Horwitz, Carla A. Green, Jennifer P. Wisdom, Naihua Duan, and Kimberly Hoagwood. 2015. “Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research.” Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 42 (5): 533–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y.
Platvoet, Jan, and Van Rinsum, Henk. 2003. “Is Africa Incurably Religious? Confessing and Contexting an Invention.” Exchange 32 (2): 123–53.
Ratau, Nelson S., Ntsofa C. Monyela, and Neo R. Mofokeng. 2021. “Re-Imagining Funerary Rites in the Context of Covid-19.” Pharos Journal of Theology 102 (2): 20 pages. https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.102215.
Sibanda, Fortune, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. 2022. “Introduction: Religion and Public Health in the Shadow of COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, 1st ed., by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003241096-1.
Sibanda, Fortune. 2022. “Repositioning the Agency of Rastafari in the Context of COVID-19 Crisis in Zimbabwe and Malawi.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, 1st ed., by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003241096-15.
Sipeyiye, Macloud. 2022. “Coping with the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Resources from Ndau Indigenous Religion.” In Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa, edited by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo, and Ezra Chitando. Routledge.
Taringa, Beatrice, and Sophia Chirongoma. 2024. “Karanga-Shona Funeral and Post Funeral Rites Beyond the COVID-19 Era: A Case Study of the VaDuma in Bikita, Zimbabwe.” In Zimbabwe in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Reflections, Lessons and the Future of Public Health, edited by Esther Mavengano, Tobias Marevesa, and Ernest Jakaza. Routledge.
Tomkins, Leah. 2017. “Using Interpretative Phenomenological Psychology in Organisational Research with Working Carers.” In Applied Qualitative Research in Psychology, edited by J. Brook and N. King. Palgrave.
Vergura, Donata Tania, Beatrice Luceri, and Cristina Zerbini. 2021. “The Role of Social Networks During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Real-Life Social Distancing Vs Virtual Interactions.” International Journal of Business and Management 16 (5): 133. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v16n5p133.
Walby, Sylvia. 2021. “The COVID Pandemic and Social Theory: Social Democracy and Public Health in the Crisis.” European Journal of Social Theory 24 (1): 22–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431020970127.
Article Sidebar
Published
Dec 3, 2025
Article Details
How to Cite
Resilience of African Kinship Values amidst COVID-19 Pandemic Disruptions in Masvingo and Bikita Districts, Zimbabwe. (2025). Utambuzi: Journal for the Study of the Religions of Africa and Its Diaspora, 8(2), 73-85. https://doi.org/10.36615/46m6rx59
Section
Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Resilience of African Kinship Values amidst COVID-19 Pandemic Disruptions in Masvingo and Bikita Districts, Zimbabwe. (2025). Utambuzi: Journal for the Study of the Religions of Africa and Its Diaspora, 8(2), 73-85. https://doi.org/10.36615/46m6rx59
