Lukanga Twa
Encyclopedia
The Twa of the Lukanga Swamp
of Zambia
are one of several fishing
and hunter-gatherer
caste
s living in a patron–client relationship with farming Bantu peoples across central and southern Africa. The Lukanga Twa live primarily among the Lenje, and speak the Lenje language
.
In Southern Province
, where swampy terrain means that large-scale crops cannot be planted near the main rivers, only the Twa fish. They exchanged their catch for agricultural produce from their patrons. Up to the 1920s the Twa built their huts on the marshes, but they were moved to higher ground for ease of taxation. By the 1970s many of the Twa identified as Lenje, and consequently abandoned fishing, as the Lenje have a strong cultural aversion to that activity. The have been replaced by immigrants to the region, primarily Luvale and Malawi
ans.
Lukanga Swamp
Lukanga Swamp is a major wetland in the Central Province of Zambia, about 50 km west of Kabwe. Its permanently swampy area consists of a roughly circular area with a diameter of 40 to 50 km covering 1850 km², plus roughly 250 km² in the mouths of and along rivers discharging...
of Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
are one of several fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s living in a patron–client relationship with farming Bantu peoples across central and southern Africa. The Lukanga Twa live primarily among the Lenje, and speak the Lenje language
Lenje language
Lenje is a Bantu language of central Zambia. The Lukanga dialect is spoken by the Lukanga Twa Pygmies, fishermen of the Lukanga Swamp....
.
In Southern Province
Southern Province, Zambia
Southern Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces, and home to Zambia's premier tourist attraction, Mosi-oa-Tunya , shared with Zimbabwe...
, where swampy terrain means that large-scale crops cannot be planted near the main rivers, only the Twa fish. They exchanged their catch for agricultural produce from their patrons. Up to the 1920s the Twa built their huts on the marshes, but they were moved to higher ground for ease of taxation. By the 1970s many of the Twa identified as Lenje, and consequently abandoned fishing, as the Lenje have a strong cultural aversion to that activity. The have been replaced by immigrants to the region, primarily Luvale and Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
ans.