Welcoming new blogger – Makamanzi the Unpacker - Africa Social Work & Development Network | Mtandao waKazi zaJamii naMaendeleo waAfrika

Lawrence Makamanzi, the most recent blogger for Mtandao, is a Zimbabwean social worker and public intellectual whose work spans across social development, policy analysis, and journalism. A graduate of the University of Zimbabwe with an Honours degree in Social Work, Makamanzi has built a diverse career combining direct community intervention with research and public commentary. Currently serving as a guest columnist for Newsday Zimbabwe, he provides weekly analytical perspectives on Zimbabwe’s socio-economic and political landscape. His professional experience includes working with prestigious organizations such as SOS Children’s Villages in Bindura, Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), Caritas Harare, and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where he has focused on various aspects of social development including health initiatives, child protection, electoral participation, and community mobilization. As a registered social worker with the Council of Social Workers, Makamanzi has published scholarly articles on disability integration in disaster management and grassroots approaches to social development. His expertise in research, policy analysis, and psychosocial support has positioned him as a valuable voice in Zimbabwe’s development discourse, particularly in addressing issues affecting marginalized communities. Currently based in Harare, he continues to contribute to both academic and public discussions on social development while maintaining an active presence in community intervention programs.

Makamanzi’s first blog post is below.

If you want to become a blogger, read the details here. Its easy.

The other bloggers, Maaza, Babe Kazi, Mugumbate, Professor Roy, Mutape JDS, Gebru, Mliswa and Mwapaura welcome you.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), technocolonial and decolonisation in African Social Work Education and Practice
by Makamanzi the Unpacker
26 September 2025
In the dynamic landscape of global technology and social work practice, a crucial conversation is emerging across Africa about the need to decolonise artificial intelligence (AI) and ensure it reflects African values, knowledge systems, and practical realities.

This post calls for a fundamental reimagining of how AI technologies are developed, implemented, and integrated into social work education and practice throughout the continent. The journey towards decolonising AI in African social work is not about rejecting Western technology entirely but about transforming it to serve African contexts, communities, and cosmological understandings.

The Historical Context of Social Work in Africa

To understand the imperative for decolonising AI in African social work, we must first acknowledge the colonial origins of social work education and practice on the continent. Social work was introduced to Africa as part of the colonial project, often mirroring the approaches of missionary activities that sought to ‘civilise’ rather than empower local populations. This historical legacy has left social work in many African countries struggling with models that are culturally inappropriate and contextually irrelevant to the realities of African communities. Western social work emphasises individual intervention over collective approaches, contrary to many African understandings of community and mutual responsibility. This misalignment becomes particularly problematic when technologies like AI—developed primarily in Western contexts with Western biases—are incorporated into practice without critical adaptation.

Understanding Technocolonialism in AI

The concept of technocolonialism represents the modern manifestation of colonial patterns through digital technologies. This occurs when technological systems developed in the West are imposed on African societies without regard for local contexts, needs, or knowledge systems. We see examples of this in initiatives like Facebook’s ‘Free Basics’ app, which provided limited internet access while promoting primarily Western services and content, often unavailable in African languages. This digital colonialism creates dependency relationships and reinforces power imbalances where African countries become consumers rather than co-creators of technology. In social work practice, this technocolonial approach risks importing AI tools that perpetuate Western values and worldviews while marginalising African approaches to helping, healing, and community wellbeing.

African Knowledge Systems as Foundations for AI

Fortunately, Africa possesses rich indigenous knowledge systems that offer alternative frameworks for conceptualising and working with AI technologies. The Ifá divination system of the Yoruba people, for example, demonstrates sophisticated computational thinking that predates Western computing by centuries. Ifá utilizes a binary structure similar to modern computing, with eight palm nuts or cowries generating 256 possible outcomes (odu), each corresponding to extensive oral verses that guide decision-making. What makes Ifá particularly relevant for social work is its interpretive nature—the binary output alone does not provide answers but requires skilled interpretation within specific community contexts and with consideration of the client’s circumstances. This contrasts sharply with many Western AI systems that tend toward automated decision-making without human mediation. Ifá instead emphasizes dialogue, interpretation, and community participation—elements that align closely with social work values of client self-determination and contextual understanding. Similarly, the concept of Sankofa from the Akan people of Ghana reminds us of the importance of learning from the past to build a prosperous future, suggesting that decolonising AI requires looking backward to indigenous knowledge systems to move forward ethically .

Towards a Decolonised AI Governance Framework

A growing movement of scholars and practitioners is developing frameworks to assess and guide the decolonisation of AI in African contexts. The decolonisation scale proposed by Ayana and colleagues offers a helpful tool for evaluating where countries and institutions fall on the spectrum from decolonization-resistant to decolonization-transformative approaches. The most transformative approaches not only acknowledge the need for decolonisation but actively address its root causes and work to transform AI governance structures . This involves centering African voices in AI development, adapting technologies to local contexts and languages, and ensuring that AI systems reinforce rather than undermine African values and social structures.

Practical Applications in Social Work Practice

What might decolonised AI look like in everyday social work practice across Africa? Imagine community-based alert systems that use natural language processing to understand local dialects and communicate resource information to vulnerable communities. Envision predictive tools that incorporate indigenous indicators of wellbeing rather than merely importing Western metrics. Consider decision-support systems for social workers that draw on African ethical frameworks like Ubuntu rather than exclusively Western models of ethics. These technologies would honour the collective wisdom of communities while addressing practical social work challenges like resource distribution, case assessment, and service delivery. In Ghana, for instance, social work practitioners already incorporate local dispute resolution strategies and traditional authority systems into their practice. A decolonised AI might amplify these approaches rather than replacing them with standardized Western models. Such technology would need to be developed through participatory design processes that engage elders, community leaders, and local social workers as co-creators, not merely as end-users.

Integrating Ubuntu and AI Ethics

The philosophical framework of Ubuntu which is the basis of thought for Black Africans (“I am because we are”) offers a powerful foundation for reimagining AI ethics in social work. Unlike Western AI ethics that often prioritizes individual privacy and autonomy, Ubuntu emphasizes relationality, community harmony, and mutual responsibility. An Ubuntu-informed AI would measure its success not by efficiency alone but by how well it strengthens community bonds, supports collective decision-making, and distributes benefits across the network of relationships. This approach aligns with social work’s commitment to social justice but grounds it specifically in African philosophical traditions . Similarly, the Afrocentric paradigm in social work provides values and ethics that can guide AI development, emphasizing interconnectedness, spirituality, and reciprocity, elements often absent in Western technological design. In making these principles central to AI systems, African social workers can develop technologies that resonate with local values while addressing global challenges.

Transforming Social Work Education

Decolonising AI in social work requires fundamental changes to social work education across Africa. This involves moving beyond token inclusion of indigenous knowledge to fundamentally rethinking curricula, teaching methods, and assessment strategies. Decolonised social work education would train students to critically evaluate technologies, understand their cultural and political implications, and participate meaningfully in technology design processes. This educational transformation must include decolonising research methodologies as well, embracing approaches that honor oral traditions, community wisdom, and indigenous ways of knowing. Rather than treating Western research methods as universally applicable, social work education should equip students to draw on African epistemologies when studying and addressing social problems.

The Path Forward

The journey toward decolonised AI in African social work is both necessary and challenging. It requires confronting powerful interests, rethinking established curricula, and investing in locally-led innovation. However, the potential rewards are immense—AI technologies that truly serve African communities, reinforce indigenous knowledge systems, and transform social work practice into something more culturally relevant and effective. This process begins with critical awareness of colonial patterns in technology and social work, followed by conscious commitment to doing things differently. It requires centering African voices in technology development, honoring indigenous knowledge systems, and building systems based on African values and realities. Most importantly, it demands humility—recognizing that Western approaches do not have all the answers and that ancient African knowledge systems hold wisdom essential for our technological future. As we look to the future of social work in Africa, the decolonisation of artificial intelligence represents not just a technical challenge but a moral and ethical imperative. By grounding AI development in African knowledge systems like Ifá, embracing ethical frameworks like Ubuntu, and prioritizing community participation in design processes, we can create technologies that serve rather than subordinate African communities. This approach transforms AI from a tool of technocolonialism into an instrument of liberation—one that amplifies indigenous knowledge, strengthens social work practice, and contributes to a more equitable future for all Africans. The time has come for social workers, technologists, communities, and policymakers to work together in building AI systems that reflect Africa’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary aspirations. Through this collaborative effort, we can ensure that artificial intelligence becomes a true partner in addressing social challenges while honoring the wisdom of African ancestors and knowledge systems. This is the promise of decolonised AI—technology that serves humanity in all its cultural diversity rather than imposing a homogenized vision of progress.

*This article was created using an AI tool with several prompts and reviews to ensure that decolonising content was not included in the final publication. An example was the definition of Ubuntu which is mischaracterised in AI apps to reflect a western colonial view of African philosophy.
DECOLONISING WESTERN FEMINISM FOR AFRICAN-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
by Makamanzi the Unpacker
20 August 2025

Feminism in Africa has often been framed through a Western lens, ignoring the continent’s unique cultural, social, and historical realities. While Western feminism emphasizes individualism and gender antagonism, African societies have long thrived on complementary gender roles rooted in Ubuntu, the philosophy of interconnectedness.

Western Feminism and its Limitations in the African Context

Western feminism often portrays women and men as adversaries, promoting a zero-sum struggle for power. However, in many African societies, men and women traditionally coexisted in interdependent roles, each contributing to family and community wellbeing. For instance, in pre-colonial Igbo society (Nigeria), women held significant economic and political influence through institutions like the Omu (female counterpart to the king). Western feminism’s failure to acknowledge such systems erases Africa’s indigenous gender equity models.

Towards an Ubuntu Feminism

Ubuntu feminism centers on harmony, collective wellbeing, and complementary roles rather than conflict. Pan-Africanist voices like Joshua Maponga argue that African feminism should restore respect for indigenous structures where men and women had defined, mutually supportive roles. For instance, in many San, Bantu, Hadzabe and Batwa and other African cultures, men were protectors and hunters, while women managed agriculture and trade, both roles were equally valued.

A decolonised African feminism would revive these principles while challenging oppressive practices like forced marriages or property disinheritance. A decolonized African feminism can adopt useful aspects of Western feminism, such as advocating for education and legal rights, while rejecting its confrontational approach. For example, Rwanda’s post-genocide gender policies successfully blended Western-style quotas (women holding 61% of parliamentary seats) with indigenous Ubudehe collective labor systems, ensuring women’s leadership remained community-rooted rather than individualistic.

More essentially, social workers in Africa can implement Ubuntu feminism through several practical approaches. In utilizing community-based mediation methods like Rwanda’s Gacaca courts, they can address gender conflicts through dialogue rather than adversarial legal processes. Cultural revitalization programs help youth understand pre-colonial gender equity models, such as the original purpose of the Lobola system, which aimed to ensure marital respect rather than commodify women. In policy advocacy, social workers can promote legislation that harmonizes modern rights with African values, as demonstrated by Botswana’s dual recognition of customary law and gender equality protections. To this end, it can be noted that, decolonising feminism is not about rejecting progress but about recentering African philosophies in gender discourse.

Africa can craft a development model that honors its heritage while progressively dismantling oppression. Social workers, as community bridge-builders, must lead this movement, ensuring feminism serves Africa’s people, not foreign ideologies.
Reconciling the Best Interest of the Child Principle with Cultural Relativism in African Social Work Practice
by Makamanzi the Unpacker
25 July 2025
The principle of the best interest of the child stands as a guiding light in social work, enshrined in global instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). Yet, in the rich and diverse cultural landscapes of Africa, applying this principle requires more than a rigid adherence to universal norms—it demands a delicate balance between safeguarding children’s rights and respecting the communal values that shape their upbringing. The challenge for African social workers is not merely to enforce external standards but to interpret them in ways that resonate with local realities, ensuring that child protection does not come at the expense of cultural identity and social cohesion. In many African societies, childhood is not an isolated experience but one deeply embedded in family and community life. Decisions about a child’s welfare are rarely made in isolation; they involve elders, kin networks, and communal traditions that have sustained societies for generations. This collectivist approach, rooted in philosophies such as Ubuntu, emphasizes interdependence and shared responsibility. However, when international frameworks prioritize individual rights over collective well-being, tensions arise.

How, then, can social workers uphold the best interest of the child while honoring the cultural contexts that define their sense of belonging? The answer lies not in rejecting universal principles but in adapting them to align with African worldviews, fostering solutions that are both rights-based and culturally grounded.

The Cultural Dimensions of Child Well-Being in Africa

Understanding the best interest of the child in Africa requires an appreciation of how communities perceive childhood, parenting, and protection. For instance, in many African cultures, child-rearing extends beyond biological parents to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even neighbors—a system that provides a safety net for vulnerable children. This communal approach, often mislabeled as “informal” in Western-centric frameworks, is in fact a highly structured and intentional form of care. When social workers intervene in family matters without acknowledging these networks, they risk undermining the very systems that have long protected children. Similarly, disciplinary practices vary widely across cultures. What may be deemed harsh by one standard could be viewed as necessary guidance in another. This does not mean excusing harm but rather engaging communities in dialogue to distinguish between culturally accepted discipline and genuine maltreatment. Social workers must navigate these nuances with sensitivity, recognizing that change, when needed, is more sustainable when it emerges from within the community rather than being imposed from outside. Education offers another compelling example. In some rural areas, children’s participation in household or agricultural work is seen as part of their learning and contribution to family survival. While international conventions emphasize formal schooling, abruptly removing children from these roles without alternative support systems can disrupt family livelihoods and alienate communities from child protection efforts. A more effective approach involves working with families to gradually shift norms, ensuring that children’s rights to education and protection are fulfilled without destabilizing the household economy.

Seeking Harmonization

The ACRWC provides a crucial regional counterbalance to the CRC by explicitly recognizing the role of culture and community in child-rearing. Article 20, for instance, underscores the responsibility of extended family members in caring for orphans and vulnerable children, aligning with traditional kinship care systems. This legal acknowledgment offers a foundation for social workers to advocate for culturally congruent child protection models. However, harmonizing international standards with local practices remains a complex task. National laws often reflect colonial legacies that clash with customary norms, leaving social workers caught between legal mandates and community expectations. To bridge this gap, some countries have adopted innovative approaches. Ghana’s foster care system, for example, integrates formal state mechanisms with traditional kinship care, ensuring that children remain within their cultural milieu while still receiving state oversight. Such models demonstrate that legal frameworks can be adapted to respect cultural contexts without compromising child welfare.

Towards a Culturally Grounded Social Work Practice

The future of African social work lies in developing practices that are both culturally informed and rights-based. This requires social workers to engage in deep listening, learning from communities rather than assuming a prescriptive role. Training programs should emphasize cultural competence, equipping practitioners with the skills to mediate between universal principles and local realities. Community-based participatory methods offer a promising path forward. In involving elders, parents, and youth in discussions about child welfare, social workers can co-create solutions that reflect shared values. For instance, in regions where alternative dispute resolution is preferred over formal legal processes, social workers can facilitate restorative justice circles to address child protection concerns in ways that repair harm while preserving family bonds.

Moreover, African social work must continue to challenge the dominance of Western paradigms in the profession. This means elevating indigenous knowledge systems—such as the restorative approaches found in many African traditions—and integrating them into mainstream practice.

The goal is not to reject global standards but to enrich them with African perspectives, ensuring that child protection is both effective and culturally meaningful. Reconciling the best interest of the child with cultural relativism is not about choosing between rights and culture but finding ways to uphold both. African social workers must act as bridges, translating universal principles into locally relevant actions while advocating for communities in spaces where policies are made. This dual role demands humility, creativity, and a commitment to justice that honors the dignity of every child within the fabric of their cultural identity.

As the Africa Social Work & Development Network (ASWDNet) emphasizes, a decolonized approach to social work begins with centering African voices and experiences. In grounding practice in the continent’s rich philosophical traditions—while remaining vigilant against harmful practices—social workers can champion a vision of child protection that is as diverse and dynamic as Africa itself. The journey is complex, but the reward is a future where children thrive not in spite of their cultural heritage but because of it.
Why African Solutions Must Replace Colonial Debt Traps: Lessons from the Recent Kenya’s Youth Protest
by Makamanzi the Unpacker
10 July 2025

The 2024 and 2025 mass protests by Kenyan youth against the Ruto government’s oppressive tax policies and its subservience to Western financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank are not just about economic discontent—they are a revolt against neocolonial exploitation. Historically, IMF/World Bank structural adjustment programs (SAPs) have crippled African economies, privatized essential services, and deepened poverty under the guise of “development.” These organizations keep giving loans to Kenya with tough conditions – like raising taxes, cutting education funding, and making basic goods more expensive. This has made life harder for regular Kenyans, especially young people who can’t find jobs. The IMF and World Bank have been doing this to African countries since the 1980s, claiming it helps fix economies, but it usually just makes foreign investors richer while making local people poorer. When Kenyans protested against these policies in 2024, especially against the new Finance Act that raised taxes, the government responded harshly. This shows how African governments often end up working against their own people to please foreign lenders. What is really needed are African solutions – like bringing back community-based economic systems where money stays in local hands, trading between African countries using their own currencies instead of dollars, and carefully checking all foreign debts to cancel unfair ones. Young Kenyans taking to the streets are not just angry about taxes – they are fighting against a system that keeps Africa dependent on Western money. Kenya’s situation is important because it shows what is happening across Africa: countries are still trapped in colonial-style relationships with Western financial institutions, even though they are supposedly independent. The solution is not to keep taking loans with harmful conditions, but to build economic systems that actually work for African people.