Decoloniality remain theoretical in every aspect and more specifically for the sake of this write-up, in agriculture, that is if agriculture remain Western centric.
Most Zimbabweans have been keeping large amounts of cattle in the communal areas.
Cattle as of late have been a symbol of whealth and have been used to pay lobola and in rare occasions they are used for meat.
Cattle are sold as a last option, normally when there is a big challenge in family setup that requires money and there is non availability of the money to solve a problem.
The number of cattle one have is equivalent to the communal status one holds in the society.
Unfortunately in the last few years, Zimbabwe has lost around half a million cattle to the tick-borne disease, theileriosis, better known as January disease, or cattle covid.
This loss has had a huge impact on people’s livelihoods and their ability to farm.
The Zimbabwean government has announced ‘a war on January disease’ for 2023.
In the last few years, nearly all parts of the country have been affected including in areas in the nationally drier areas where normally ticks do not survive.
The government seems to be ill-equipped to fight January disease.
The country being agrarain based economy, alternative policies should be tabled as to promote alternative animal draught power which is less likely to be affected by diseases.
Most Africans can not afford mechanised way of farming due to marginalisation and lack, so they resort to the use of animals for ploughing.
The African wild ass and the scientific name as Equus africanus is the wild ancestor of the donkey.
Google scholar is of the opinion that, the earliest donkeys were found in ancient Egypt, archaeologists concluded that they were domesticated from resident Nubian wild ass by villagers inhabiting the Egyptian Nile Valley.
Donkeys have been used for millennia for draught animal power.
A donkey have an average lifespan of between 27 – 40 years.
Because of its small hooves it is suited for arid conditions and does not consume much.
A donkey can be used as a mode of transport, for drawing ploughs and scotch carts and in some instancesa as meat.
The Chinese use donkey hides as traditional medicine.
Hence, donkey hides are of medicinal value to the Chinese.
Chinese traditional medicine, e’jiao is made from donkey hides.
Donkeys contributes to livelihoods across the world.
E’jiao has put a spotlight on the value of dead donkeys and governments have been the middleman.
Donkeys were once status symbol lauded as the drivers of the development of ancient civilisations.
The donkey is the first domesticated transport animal.
With capitalism dominating the worldviews, currently donkeys are associated with poor people.
Ownership of donkeys is now symbolic of poverty.
Donkeys instead of being perceived as agent of change, which they are, they are seen as poverty indicators.
The advantages of using donkeys over cattle should be communicated and championed so that people are abreast and fully appreciate decoloniality mentality, going back to roots to seek solutions.