Batonga

/bəˈtɑŋɡə/ noun

Definition

A Bantu people inhabiting regions of southern Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe and Zambia; also, their language.

Etymology

From Bantu roots meaning 'people of the ba-' prefix combined with 'tonga.' The term is self-identified and refers to an ethnic and linguistic group in southern Africa.

Kelly Says

The Batonga were master boat builders who navigated the Zambezi River for centuries—when the Kariba Dam flooded their homeland, they became one of the first indigenous groups forced to relocate due to a megaproject, a pattern that would repeat globally.

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