“Academic research is the best way for anyone in the medical research field to know and understand people and their environments,” says Africa Centre research fellow Dr Mzingaye Xaba. “This makes policy planning and implementation more manageable.”
After years of prioritising meaningful research, Mzi firmly believes that people’s beliefs, histories and cultures need to be taken seriously in order to deliver inclusive health management. He stands by his belief that academic research not only has real value, but can help get to the root of many underlying health issues in our communities. “Without this understanding, healthcare practitioners will not know the people they are caring for, and will struggle to deliver effective healthcare. This is the core reason why my research interests intersect various aspects of human life – and what inspires me.”
Multilayered research interests with a community connection
Mzi’s research interests are multilayered and dig deep into the heart and soul of the community. “Broadly speaking, I am concerned about the lived experiences of communities, and how external interests impact their lives. On a deeper level, I am fascinated by the use of traditional medicine, youth and health issues, social media, suicide cases, land reform, democracy, renewable energy, environmentalism, and more recently, cannabis use.”
For Mzi, linking these issues to inclusive health management requires him to understand health matters in a holistic manner. And to understand health issues and offer “real” healthcare that benefits the community, it’s essential to understand people’s cultures, beliefs, politics, infrastructures, etc.
Currently based at the National University of Lesotho in the Sociology and Social Work Department, Mzi’s job entails teaching, research, supervision and community engagement. In addition, he has authored or co-authored multiple book chapters and journal articles and has presented his work at several conferences.
Dedicated time for research and writing
Researching and writing stem from his passion for “knowing” and the need to “share” that knowledge with others, which is why Mzi dedicates one day a week to writing, emphasising that his passion for community health issues makes it easy to find time. Furthermore, as sociologists are trained to develop explanatory power regarding issues around us, he loves collaborating and discussing many relevant issues with people – which gives him more insight and fuels his passion for his work.
Outside of work, Mzi prioritises his mental health by travelling as much as he can, working out (either at the gym or jogging) and meeting strangers and hearing their views ─ he says constant interaction with people develops more curiosity and solutions. “I believe great people did not only become great because of their own intellect, but also through interactions with various people.”
Mzi’s dream? To see healthcare practitioners taking people’s beliefs, histories and cultures seriously in order to deliver meaningful healthcare – which is why he is planning more research and grant applications in the coming year.
His dream might have begun in a village in Zimbabwe, where as a child he talked to his grandfather about politics, cattle and village life, but today Mzi is inspiring others to see the benefit of academic research to deliver inclusive health management.
Mzi’s latest publications as part of his Africa Centre fellowship
Xaba, M. B. (2026). Environmentalism, contested meanings of consultation and developmental projects in South Africa, 2007 – 2024. African Studies, 0 (0). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00020184.2026.2615954?src=.
Khalechane, M. & Xaba, M. (2025). Social media as a social fact: A sociological exploration of social media usage and suicide risk among youth populations in Lesotho. Sociological Focus, 58 (4), 542 – 557. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00380237.2025.2549015.
Matele, J. M., Thabane, S. & Xaba, M. B. (2025). Centring herding as an environmental preservation and cultural institution in Lesotho: an ethnography. African Identities, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725843.2025.2508430.
Zantsi, S. & Xaba, M. B. (2025). ‘Back to the fields’: The implementation and impact of government efforts to revive field cultivation in Ndabakazi in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Journal of Southern African Studies, 51 (1) 7 – 24. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057070.2025.2480917.