Tonga

The Tonga race of Zimbabwe constitute a fairly significant percentage of the native ethnicity of about 8%. the Tonga race is not confined to Zimbabwe alone but extends to Zambia as well. Some Tongas live in the Mozambique lying to the north-eastern part of Zimbabwe and Malawi to the north- east of Zambia. Significantly the Tonga people of Rhodesia, that is Zambia and Zimbabwe are distinct from the Malawi Tongas. The Rhodesian Tonga race are also known as BaTonga because they follow the Bantu language. The Tonga people originally inhabited the banks of the river Tonga. The Tonga people of Zimbabwe are closely related to their counterpart in Zambia and are known for their harmonious existence and friendship.

DISPLACEMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF THE TONGA PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE

In 1955 it was decided that the water of river Zambezi had to be dammed to harness the water for Hydro-electricity generation. As most of the Tonga people were based on the fertile river bank, they had to be removed in a mass scale before the banks could be flooded. The lake thus formed was called Kariba Lake and the the dam, Kariba dam. The Tonga people were promised favorable compensation for their lost land but the land that they were offered instead was considered arid. Currently the Tongas inhabit the adjoining plateau regions, the low lying valleys and the lake shores.

The Tonga people of Zimbabwe are mostly farmers who live below the poverty level. Their condition is comparatively worse than the Zambian Tonga people. Interestingly, the Tonga people are also called the 'Ostrich People' because of their peculiar feature of fused toes.