When Ubuntu is Under Water: A Call to Reclaim Community in a Time of Climate Change Crisis

After the scorching heat, comes the tempest cloudbursts, this is but a reality for most parts in Limpopo. Summer and autumn are seasons marked by unpredictable rain patters, which was not always the case.

It is February 20, 2025 and I find myself staring out the window, listening to music. It has been pouring outside for an entire week. Sometimes the rain lingers for days without pause. I call it the “patient showers. Other days, the rain comes crashing down like uninvited guests, the “fierce torrents” that disrupt day-to-day life as usual.

The Changing Seasons and the Loss of Traditional Practices

This week, the days are marked by cloudburst that is unpredictable accompanied by fierce thunders that urge one to hide under the covers. As I sit here, I find myself romanticizing past summer and autumn seasons, when our elders in the villages counted days not in numbers but in the ripening of fruit and swelling of grain. They prepared months in advance to plant maize, cow peas, ground nuts, Hugo beans, watermelons, millets, sorghum and more.

Phone call conversations with elders easily shifted from the usual “How are you?” to joyful discussions about good grain and bountiful harvests. Neighbors walked together to their farms, shared seeds, and exchanged portions of their yields. When we visited our elders in summer, we would gather around bonfires, listen to stories and sing songs while enjoying the abundance of the harvest. There was always enough to share with friends and families from afar.

The rains of summer and autumn in Limpopo brought families, neighbors, and friends together in harmony and shared joy. This is but a reflection of the rich traditional cultures in Limpopo, with striking features of Ubuntu and a deep sense of community.

The Visible and Subtle Impacts of Climate Change

But so much has changed. Time slips by so quietly that only in moments of stillness, when I am watching the rain through the window, do I realize how different things have become. Today, phone calls with our elders during these seasons of Summer and Autumn, are filled with complaints– “the rain never stops”, “the crops are dying because of the heat”, “the seeds are swept by run offs”, and “crops are no longer growing as they usually did”.

I have come to realize that climate change is not a distant phenomenon, but it is now close to home. When I stepped outside this week or even scrolled through social media, I am met with stories of frustration on how the relentless rain is damaging properties and disrupting daily life. These are just but the visible effects of climate change, yet its subtle impacts seep into our communities unnoticed. Slowly and steadily, contemporary challenges suffocate the spirit of Ubuntu in African communities, and so do the impact of climate change.

Conflict over Water and the Breakdown of Ubuntu

If the rains of past summers and autumns strengthened the bonds between families and neighbors, today’s relentless downpours have begun to divide them. This week’s furious torrents have caused conflicts between neighbors. In planned neighborhoods, weep holes and storm water drainage is incorporated intro construction to allow the natural flow of water and prevent flooding.

The general rule is that lower lying properties should make provisions for weep holes to enable natural water runoff (Pappalardo v Hau, 2009). This is a common law often ignored in practice. Many homeowners build walls without weep holes or block existing ones to prevent water from draining onto their property, consequently putting their neighbors at risk of flooding. Local authorities rarely prioritize such matters, and existing By-Laws often lack provisions to regulate them.

Until recently, building plans have to indicate the placement of weep holes and drainage of natural storm water in alignment with property slopes. But in most cases, responsibility of handling the flow of water between properties is left to the neighbors. However, rather than neighbors working together, disputes arise, weep holes on walls are blocked, and the issue escalates to legal battles in courts.

Ubuntu in the Face of a Climate Crisis

It is in these moments, when neighbors must choose between self-preservation and communal well-being, where Ubuntu is compromised. The floods put Ubuntu under water, leaving communities fractured. Ubuntu is a fundamental value, belief, and behavior in the African culture, the very essence of community resilience and solidarity because “Umtu ngumtu ngabantu/I am because, We are” (Mabovula, 2011; Lutz, 2014; Chibvongodze, 2016; and Ewuso & Hall, 2019). 

While there is no universal definition of Ubuntu, the concept in itself is defined as an expression of humanness and what it means to truly be human (Ewuso & Hall, 2019). In its expansion, Ubuntu translates into belonging to a community as what defines being human, ensuring that the unity of the community is preserved. Mabovula (2011) describes it as collective consciousness rooted in principles of sharing, co-responsibility, and mutual respect of human rights by all.

Ubuntu emphasizes good human relationships, trust, and compassion amongst others, it goes beyond community. Ubuntu extends beyond human relationships; it acknowledges the interconnectedness between individuals, nature, and spirituality (Chibvongodze, 2016). This is what gives the philosophy its depth and intensity.

While embracing the thoughtfulness of Ubuntu, especially when at crossroads of communal well-being and self-preservation, Lutz (2014) cautions that the individual must not sacrifice their own good in the pursuit of the common good, but should pursue their own good by pursuing the common good.

Restoring Ubuntu through Collective Action

The spirit of Ubuntu calls for compassion, solidarity, and shared responsibility, especially in times of crisis. If my neighbor is forced to leave their home due to severe flooding, Ubuntu encourages me to offer support. This support may mean providing temporary shelter, assisting with salvaging their belongings, or helping them access relief services. However, Ubuntu extends beyond human relations, it encompasses the natural environment as well (Chibvongodze, 2016).

Therefore, if my neighbor blocks the natural flow of water to protect their home, leaving mine submerged and exposing my family to cold and discomfort, Ubuntu reminds us that individual survival should not come at the expense of others or the environment (Ewuso & Hall, 2019). Such actions disrupt the human, natural, and spiritual tripartite that Ubuntu seeks to uphold. Instead of fostering conflict, Ubuntu calls for dialogue and cooperation. In this case, neighbors should work together to develop drainage solutions that benefit both households.

Ubuntu is a narrative of becoming more human through communal action, and strengthening everyone’s ability to adapt during a climate crisis (Mabovula, 2011; Chibvongodze, 2016; Ewuso & Hall, 2019). It does not erase individual rights but balances them with the well-being of the community. As the Ndebele proverb says, "Inkomo kayisengwa ngokwehlisa" ("Do not continuously milk a cow until there is nothing left to milk"), it reminds us to be considerate and not exploit others in the name of Ubuntu (Chibvongodze, 2016).

If floodwaters from my neighbor’s property damage my belongings, Ubuntu urges us to seek restorative solutions rather than adversarial ones. Instead of resorting to legal disputes and resentment, Ubuntu encourages community-driven responses, such as advocating for better drainage infrastructure, pooling resources for repairs, and establishing preventive measures together. The morally right action is one that nurtures relationships and promotes harmony (Ewuso & Hall, 2019).

Conclusion: Bridging Ubuntu above Water

Ubuntu recognizes that when a community is broken, the individual is also broken. It shifts the focus from "me versus my neighbor" to "us against the crisis" fostering healing and addressing root causes collectively. Ubuntu under water calls on humanity to embrace Mbiti’s (1970) philosophy: "Whatever happens to the individual happens to the whole group, and whatever happens to the whole group happens to the individual". If we acknowledge that a climate crisis affecting one person is a problem for the entire community, we take the first step toward community solidarity and resilience, bringing Ubuntu above water.

When Ubuntu is above water, the unpredictable rains of summer and autumn become less of a threat and more of a renewal. The same rains that once divided neighbors now bring them together in solidarity, cooperation, and shared resilience. Just as elders once walked side by side to their farms, sharing seeds and harvests, today we can share resources, solutions, and responsibilities in times of crisis. We restore collective consciousness, where neighbors work together to prevent flooding rather than leaving it as an individual burden.

When Ubuntu is above water, shared problem-solving reigns, and the instinct to protect one’s home does not come at another’s expense. Just as families once gathered around bonfires to celebrate the season’s abundance, we must now reclaim harmony and interconnectedness. Climate challenges do not belong to one household alone, they belong to us all. And in this realization, we move beyond survival to thriving together, restoring Ubuntu to its rightful place, above the flood waters.

References

1. Chibvongodze, D. (2016). Ubuntu is Not Only about the Human! An Analysis of the Role of African Philosophy and Ethics in Environment Management. Journal of Human Ecology, 157-166.
2. Ewuoso, C., & Hall, S. (2019). Core aspects of ubuntu: A systematic review. South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, 93-103.
3. Lutz, D. (2009). African Ubuntu Philosophy and Philosophy of Global Management. Journal of Business Ethics, 313-329.
4. Mabovula, N. (2011). The erosion of African communal values: a reappraisal of the African Ubuntu philosophy. Inkanyiso, Journal of Human & Social Sciences, 38-47.
5. Pappalardo v. Hau, (63/08) [2009] ZASCA 160 (SCA) (South Africa).

Written By: Lebogang Mogale

Edited By: Zaiba Abid

Photo Credit: Musandiwa Sinyosi