Ngugi wa Thiong’o in the novel The River Between (1965) presents a picture that depicts Western Christianity as something that is disruptive to the African traditional way of life.
Another writer, Chinua Achebe, in his novel Things Fall Apart (1985) has shown that before the advent of colonialism in eastern Nigeria, among the Igbo, there were institutions that served their society effectively, but were disrupted by British colonialists. Some Western writers have negatively portrayed traditional African life while extolling the values of Western institutions.
The age-old conflict between traditional African culture and Western values has implications on workplace relations that cannot be ignored.
The Zimbabwean workplace of today reflects many diverse cultures and instances of culture clashes are an omnipresent reality.
Recently, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health chaired by former Health minister and Murehwa North Member of Parliament David Parirenyatwa reported that more than 80% of Zimbabweans consult traditional practitioners.
In some rural areas the percentage is believed to be even higher than that. The World health Organisation (WHO) and UNAids estimate that between 80 and 85% of people in developing countries make use of traditional healers’ services in both rural and urban areas.
In traditional African religion, success or failure in life, business or work is defined in terms of the relationship that exists between a person and his or her ancestral spirits.
The African traditional healer, called n’anga in Shona or inyanga in Ndebele has special ritual powers and is consulted by those seeking a cure for physical ailments, bad luck, protection against witchcraft or securing one’s job.
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Consulting an n’anga or inyanga is an integral aspect of African religion premised on the idea that spirit mediums can communicate with souls of one’s dead relatives.
These beliefs shape attitudes, emotions and cognitions alike and have a bearing on people’s everyday behaviour. What are the implications for business?
Employees may request time off at certain times of the year to perform the necessary rituals to appease their ancestral spirits.
In African culture, the funeral of a relative, whether close or distant takes precedence over everything else. Does your organisation grant employees time off for such events?
A diligent junior employee may be suspected of wanting to topple his superior from his post. The superior may even cast a spell on him to thwart his perceived intentions.
It is not uncommon to hear stories of employees who turn down a promotion for fear of being bewitched.
An employee may refuse to wear a red uniform because red colour is perceived to be associated with misfortune.
In African culture, when misfortune strikes, the answer is readily found in witchcraft or incensed ancestral spirits. Westerners are more likely to speak of chance and perhaps divine providence.
There are reports of employers, especially from the farming communities who have engaged tsikamutanda (witchhunters) or n’angas to sniff out employees suspected of theft.
Employees have been forced to drink certain concoctions as part of the rituals, some of which turned out to be lethal. In terms of Western values, this is obviously a violation of the Witchcraft Suppression Act (Chapter 9:19) and can lead to the prosecution of the employer or n’anga concerned.
A company espousing Western values would carry out some investigations and conduct disciplinary hearings or involve the police when theft occurs. Section 14 of the Labour Act says an employee who presents a certificate “supported by a certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner” is entitled to 90 days sick leave on full pay and a further 90 days on half pay.
However, the Act does not define the term “medical practitioner”. This therefore means that a traditional healer registered with Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association in terms of the Traditional Medical Practitioners Act can also issue sick leave certificates.
Some collective bargaining agreements such as the one for the Textile Industry do recognise such certificates for the purposes of sick leave. What does your own organisation or industry policy say about such things?
Western values at the workplace are premised on Christian beliefs. Christians generally view traditional rituals and practices as demonic and ungodly. They quote extensively from the Bible.
For example, Deuteronomy 18 verse 11 says anyone who consults the dead is abominable to God. Leviticus 19 verse 31 warns that people must not turn to mediums or spirits “for you will be defiled by them”. These “gods” and “spirits” are demons according to Corinthians 11 verses 14 and 15.
Employees with strong religious views may seriously consider leaving an organisation that values traditional beliefs.
It was reported in The Herald of November 23 2009 that a local beverage company had fired 48 workers for refusing to wear corporate uniforms they believed had been taken to a traditional healer for ritual purposes “to increase sales”.
One of the workers is reported to have remarked: “It is better to be unemployed than to have work where you are used for ritual purposes.”
At times there is a confusing mixture of traditional beliefs and Western or Christian values at the workplace.
This should not be surprising. Press reports indicate that a well-known prophet and leader of an apostolic sect, Boniface Muponda, now doubles up as a practising traditional healer.
Tensions arising from workplace values generally governed by Western business practice and those underpinning traditional cultures of Africans are a reality. A fine balance has to be struck between the opposing values.
Workplace policies that emphasise more on shared values need to be designed. Managers who comprehend and value the cultural diversity of workers and are flexible in using what works from a practical perspective will have a competitive edge over their counterparts.
In my view, it is not the wrongness or rightness of one’s beliefs that matters, but the recognition of the fact that people do genuinely hold different beliefs.
The answer lies in acknowledging the existence of such diversity and finding common ground.
