Zimbabwe

Understanding local peace practices using crafts and intergenerational interviews among the Tonga people 

Project Introduction 

Binga, our research site is in Matabeleland North Province, which borders Midlands and Mashonaland West. It is the epicentre of Tonga-speaking peoples in Zimbabwe with a population according to the 2012 census totalling 139,092. Others know Binga as Basilwizi which means people of the Great Zambezi River due to their historic bond with the rich river.  

Currently, the Tonga reside in seven districts in Zimbabwe, namely Hwange, Binga, Nyaminyami, Gokwe North and South, Nkayi and Lupane. Zimbabwean Tonga are scattered and they are not only marginalized but disregarded (Nyota & Mapara, 2014). The Tonga used to occupy land lying on the banks of the Zambezi River, (Ndlovu, 2015). The term ‘Tonga’ implies independence, and it emanates from the way these people lived before the advent of colonization. Unlike other tribes, the Tonga lived without chiefs.  

The construction of the Kariba Dam between 1955 and 1959 weakened the Tonga prosperous social and economic processes that were built around the Zambezi River (Muwati, 2015). The Zambezi River was and continues to be their lifeline though with a lot of restrictions. Not only were the Tonga affected by the activities of the settlers, but after independence, they were also affected by the ethnic binaries of Shona or Ndebele classification. Despite the fact that they are the third largest ethnic group, they are classified under the Ndebele ethnic group and this has raised cultural and ethnic clashes between them and the Ndebele (Walker & Boni, 2020). After independence, the majority of the Tonga were excluded from enjoying the national cake. (Ndlovu, 2015). The marginalisation of the Tonga people has seen 70% of their population being classified as poor by the ZIMSTAT after the 2012 census (Mutingwende, 2018; Walker & Boni, 2020). 

Historically, the Tonga people survived in the rich valley of the Zambezi River, which they usually called the Kasambezi (Jarrett, 2020), which means “those who know how to bath in a crocodile-infested river.” The Tonga people sustained an agricultural civilization, taking advantage of the fertile river valley soil enabling them to often harvest twice a year. They also fished, hunted forest animals, and gathered wild fruits and vegetables. They worshipped a serpent-like river god named Nyaminyami, who they believed controlled the waters and would kill travellers who wandered too close to the dangerous Kariba Gorge (Jarrett, 2020). The river was at the centre of their way of life.  

In some ways, life was able to continue as it had before. Tonga culture has survived the influence of dominant and hegemonic Ndebele culture. As such, the Tonga are known for their craftwork, especially basketry and weaving. Their basketry is intricate with women being the major players (Walker & Boni, 2020). These baskets are specifically designed for specific purposes and that determines their structure. The Tonga people’s resilience and love of their culture have generally been misconstrued by some quarters to mean underdevelopment, backwardness, naivety, and simplicity, among many other negative descriptions and pejorative labels (Mawere, 2015). 

Project Methodology 

The project collaborates with Binga Craft Centre, Batonga Community Museum, Lusaka Museum, Choma Crafts Centre, teachers and intergenerational participants from the community. Binga Craft Centre and Choma Crafts Centre are organizations that coordinate Tonga craftsmen and women between Zambia and Zimbabwe by collecting their wares and selling them (Ncube, 2019). The Batonga Community Museum was established in 2000 but declared a national museum in September 2002 (Mawere, 2015). These organizations identify the skilled crafts persons and the youths. A local stakeholder consultation meeting was used to identify the organizations and create synergies. For this exercise, two participants from each organization were selected. Following that consultation, the two organizations identified the five-day workshop participants. Four participants were chosen for each craftwork. The five-day workshop involving the youth and the elderly who are specialists in various crafts such as basketry and weaving was held.