Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe

Tenson Muyambo earned a PhD from the University of KwaZulu Natal(UKZN), South Africa. He is a research fellow at the University of SouthAfrica’s (UNISA) Research Institute for Theology and Religion (RITR),College of Human Sciences. He lectures at the Great Zimbabwe University,and researches and publishes extensively on indigenous knowledge systems,religion (Ndau indigenous religion), gender, education, pandemics andAfrican Spirituality. He has co- edited the books, Religion and the COVID- 19Pandemic in Southern Africa (2022) and Re- imagining Indigenous Knowledgeand Practices in 21st Century Africa: Debunking Myths and Misconceptionsfor Conviviality and Sustainability (2022).Fortune Sibanda (PhD) is a professor of Religious Studies in the Department ofPhilosophy and Religious Studies, Great Zimbabwe University, Masvingoand Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Eswatini,Eswatini. Professor Sibanda is also a research fellow in the ResearchInstitute for Theology and Religion, UNISA, South Africa. He is a specialistin the History and Phenomenology of Religion; African IndigenousReligions and New Religious Movements (particularly Rastafari). Hisresearch interests include Indigenous Knowledge Systems, religion andhealth, religion and the environment, human rights issues, law and religion,religion and the culinary arts tackled from an African perspective. Sibandahas published edited books, book chapters and his work has also appearedin refereed journals. He is a member of a number of academic associations,including the American Academy of Religion (AAR), African Consortiumfor Law and Religion Studies (ACLARS), African Theological Institutionsin Southern and Central Africa (ATISCA), Association for the Study ofReligion in Southern Africa (ASRSA) and African Association for theStudy of Religion (AASR). Professor Sibanda is a member of the ACLARSPublication Committee and ACLARS Board member.Ezra Chitando (DPhil) is a professor of History and Phenomenology ofReligion at the University of Zimbabwe. His broad research and publicationinterests include method and theory in the study of religion, as well asreligion, health, gender, security, politics, development, climate change, andsexuality, among others.

• Chapter 1: Introduction: Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination in ZimbabweTenson Muyambo, Fortune Sibanda & Ezra ChitandoChapter 2: Bridging the ‘Social Distance’ between Public Health and Religion: Insights from Responses to COVID-19 Vaccines in ZimbabweMutsawashe Chitando and Ezra ChitandoChapter 3: Indigenous Knowledge Systems and COVID-19 : A Case Study of the Ndau in eastern ZimbabweAnniegrace Hlatywayo and Sophia ChirongomaChapter 4: Unpacking and Repackaging the Shona Funeral and Post Burial Rites in the Context of the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) in Zimbabwe Beatrice Taringa & Sophia ChirongomaChapter 5: Situating mainline Christian churches’ responses to COVID-19 vaccination in Masvingo and Bikita Districts, Zimbabwe Tenson Muyambo, Josiah Taru & Fortune SibandaChapter 6: ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ (John 1:46): The Relevance of Apostolic Women’s Empowerment Trust in the Context of COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe Tobias Marevesa and Fortune SibandaChapter 7: Muslim response to COVID19 vaccination in Zimbabwe: A focus on Mberengwa ummah Edmore DubeChapter 8: Migrant Communities and COVID-19 Vaccination at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Zimbabwe Wisdom SibandaChapter 9: COVID-19 vaccination in Zimbabwe: Sites and scenes of power contestations through the lenses of spirituality and uncertaintyTarsisio M. NyatsanzaChapter 10: African Indigenous Churches’ response to the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Zimbabwe: A case of Johane Marange Apostolic ChurchHenerieta MgovoChapter 11: ‘Disconcerting Vaccination Voices’: Experiences of diasporic Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom Nomatter Sande and Silas NyadzoChapter 12: Vaccination uptake and power dynamics: Insights from African Initiated Churches and traditional healers in Masvingo Province, ZimbabweExcellent Chiresh and Mavis Thokozile MachekaChapter 13: The Bible and COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe: Critical Reflections on the Influence of the Bible on both Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy Makomborero Allen BowaChapter 14: Vaccination in African Initiated Churches in Zimbabwe: A recipe for Church ideological bisectionBernard Pindukai HumbeChapter 15: Shona Traditional Religion, Gender and COVID-19 vaccination in Zimbabwe: The case of Buhera South, Manicaland provinceMaradze Viriri, Etwin Machibaya & Cuthbert PisiraiChapter 16: From Religion and COVID-19 Vaccination to Religion and Development? A ReviewEzra Chitando, Tenson Muyambo and Fortune Sibanda