1. The Tonga are one of the main tribes of over 70 different tribes in Zambia. The Zambezi river has been occupied by the Tonga tribe for over two thousand years; the North of the River by the Zambian Tongas and the south by the Tongas in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
2. The Tonga culture of polygamy, cattle rearing and abstaining from eating mice and caterpillars have been traced to be similar to the Black Jews of Ethiopia, Tutsis and Zezulus. These tribes were believed to have lived together in East Africa in the early first century, observing the Jewish Sabbath called “Shabbat”.
3. The spiritual leader of the Tongas is Chief Munze. ‘Munze’ is believed to have been derived from ‘Moses’, who gave the Israelites the Law.
4. The Tonga are believed to be part of the lost tribe of Israel, specifically the tribe of Asher. Anthropological linguists have also found phonems and morphemes to match after comparing Tonga and Tutsi names with Hebrew names.
5. Chitonga is the language spoken by the Tonga people; it is a Bantu language similar to Bembe, Luyana and Chichewa.
6. The main staple food of the Tonga is maize; the Nshima which is made from maize, is eaten with vegetables and meat. Other food eaten by the Tonga are sorghum and millet.
7. The Tonga people in the South are pastoralists, living among their livestock, and are known for their unique architecture; building huts on stilts.
They build their houses in this manner for the following reasons:
– Security from wild animals.
– Improved air circulation, particularly in times of extreme heat.
8. The Tonga tribe are skilled in using grass and fibre for basket weaving. They originally used these Batonga Baskets for winnowing grain but these days these hand woven baskets are used to decorate homes.
