Ethical Issues of Working with Human Remains in Zimbabwe

Silika, Keith; Squires, Kirsty

Abstract

Four key conflicts have taken place in Zimbabwe over the past 50 years.
These events have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and have consequently led to ongoing tensions between the state, victims, and community groups.
Moreover, the situation is complicated further due to the politicisation of human
remains, the time elapsed since the atrocities took place, and the interment of
human remains from different conflicts in the same location. In the past, unorthodox
means of recovering and analysing human remains (including the use of spirit
mediums) to identify the dead have been widely employed in Zimbabwe. The lack
of legislation and government involvement in these matters has led to unethical
practices, which has, in turn, had a profound impact on local communities.
However, it is hoped that the recent implementation of the National Peace and
Reconciliation Act (2018) will not only lead to the formation of a commission with
the aim of investigating these atrocities, but will also lead to the development of
subsidiary legislation that will address the ethics of recovering and identifying
victims of conflict. The following chapter will explore ethical issues of historical
exhumations alongside recommendations for future best practice in Zimbabwe

Citation

Silika, K., & Squires, K. (2019). Ethical Issues of Working with Human Remains in Zimbabwe. In K. Squires, D. Errickson, & N. Márquez-Grant (Eds.), Ethical Approaches To Human Remains. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32926-6_28

• Acceptance Date: Jan 31, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 2, 2020
• Publication Date: Jun 26, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jan 24, 2024
• Publisher: Springer
• Book Title: Ethical Approaches To Human Remains
• ISBN: 978-3-030-32925-9
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32926-6_28