The Persistence of Traditional Healing for Mental Illness Among the Korekore People in Rushinga District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Despite concerted attempts by colonial governments to stamp out traditional healing practices, the Korekore-speaking Shona people have continued to seek healing for mental illness from traditional healers in present-day Zimbabwe. In this article, I discuss the health-seeking trajectories of Korekore people when confronted with mental illness, particularly when and why they seek out traditional healing, and the role that traditional healers play in the quest for therapy.