Paying for Cultural Ecosystem Services: The Case of Apostolic Sects (Vapostori) in Bulawayo Metropolitan province, Zimbabwe
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Date
2017
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Abstract
Apostolic Sects (Vapostori)‟s Open Space Worship (OSW) practices derive from “Ecclesiology from Below”, characterised by human choices. OSW practices‟ heavy reliance on Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) for religious services set the stage for environmentalism, invoked by one of the two main issues of the Rio De Janeiro Convention (i.e: the regulation of access to biodiversity resources by corporations, who would have to pay for them). The study explores CES drawn by Apostolic Sects and originates viable valuation systems to foster environmental conservation through a Market for Ecosystem Services (MES). The interpretivist paradigm and its attendant methods, alongside literature review were deployed to explore CES from “Masowe” Sects. Purposive sampling, followed by snowballing informed the sampling procedure until a saturation point of eight sects. KIIs, FGDs, and questionnaires were used for Sects, BCC and EMA while literature was gleaned for doctrinal institutions (formal & informal) governing the use of CES by Apostolic Sects. Religion (Vapostori) has embedded its existential roots in the African Traditional Religion, targeted places ATR declared sacred for conservation purposes for spiritual power rejuvenation, healing, and cleansing, threatening to reverse gains made under ATR. Sacred places including forests; hilltops and mountains; water bodies; redemptive open-space fires (Zambara/Choto/Murandera); power status (Tsvimbo); healing/cleansing from spiritual stones/pebbles; plants (Mukonde/Umhlonhlo); sweet-smelling trees like Muchakata/Umkhuna/Hissing are the CES used by OSW Sects. Examples include Chivavarira; Matopos; Inswazi; Fambeki (Van Beek). Chinhoyi Caves; Gonawapotera; Chirorodziva; Nyatsime and Hokoyo pools, alongside local water bodies like China dam; Umguza and Khami complete the list of CES venerated by OSW Sects. The study recommends the creation/valuation of Natural and Worship Parks through Hybridisation of Hedonic; Transport-Cost; Factor-Component; and Bequest Valuation methods, for the benefit of anthropocentric and environmental concerns. Payment options include Lease Agreement; Pay-as-You-Use (PAYU); Polluter-Pays-Principle (PPP) or Public-Private Partnesrhips (PPP) via Policy change.
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Keywords
Apostolic Sects (Vapostori), Ecosystem Services, CES, Open Space Worship (OSW), Payment, ATR, Sacred Trees, Conservation
Citation
Ncube, M. 2017. Paying for Cultural Ecosystem Services: The Case of Apostolic Sects (Vapostori) in Bulawayo Metropolitan province, Zimbabwe