# Kafwe Twa

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Ethnic groups

The [Twa](/source/Twa_peoples) of the [Kafue Flats](/source/Kafue_Flats) wetlands of [Zambia](/source/Zambia) are one of several [fishing](/source/Fishing) and [hunter-gatherer](/source/Hunter-gatherer) [castes](/source/Caste) living in a [patron-client relationship](/source/Patron-client_relationship) with farming [Bantu peoples](/source/Bantu_peoples) across central and southern Africa.

In [Southern Province](/source/Southern_Province%2C_Zambia), where swampy terrain means that large-scale crops cannot be planted near the main rivers, only the Twa fish.[1] They exchange their catch for agricultural produce from their Bantu/village patrons, the [Tonga](/source/Tonga_people_of_Zambia_and_Zimbabwe) and perhaps the [Ila](/source/Ila_people), who build villages at the [ecotone](/source/Ecotone) on the margins of the floodplain, which they call *Butwa* "Twa country".

The Kafue Twa have a dark-hut method of fishing unique in Africa. The sides of the river are covered with a thick mat of vegetation. The Twa raise a small reed platform about 3 square at the margin of the vegetation, with a tube in the center down to the water. They cover themselves and the tube with blankets, blocking out light as the adjacent vegetation does and enabling them to see the fish in the river clearly. They then spear the fish with bident and trident spears up to 6 m long, and occasionally longer, depending on the depth of the water. In the 1950s there were several hundred of these platforms raised in the Twa fishing grounds, and catches were reported to be over 100 kg per person per day when the fish were running.

Maho (2009) lists Kafue Twa as a dialect of Ila, *Ethnologue* of Tonga.

## See also

- [Zambia portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Zambia)

- [Twa peoples](/source/Twa_peoples)

- [Classification of Pygmy languages](/source/Classification_of_Pygmy_languages)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** This may once have been true of the entire country, but due to the commercial market for fish, immigrant fishermen now work the north and east of Zambia.

## References

- Lehmann, D. 1977. "The Twa: People of the Kafue Flats". In Williams & Howard (eds.) *Development and Ecology in the Lower Kafue Basin in the Nineteen Seventies*, 41–46. University of Zambia.

- Smardon, R. 2009. "The Kafue Flats in Zambia, Africa: A Lost Floodplain?", in *Sustaining the world's wetlands*. Springer.

- Stefaniszyn, B. 1974. *The material culture of the Ambo of Northern Rhodesia*, p. 472.

v t e Ethnic groups in Zambia Bemba Bwile Chewa Chokwe Ishindi-Lunda Kafwe Twa Kanongesha-Lunda Kunda Lala Lamba Lambya Lenje Lovale Lozi Mbukushu Lukanga Twa Lunda Lungu Luvale Mambwe Mbunda Mwanga Kamanga Ngoni Nkoya Nsenga Nyiha Phoka Soli Subiya Tokaleya Tonga Tumbuka

v t e Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M) (by Guthrie classification) Zone J* [J]D40 [J]D41 Konzo [J]D42 Ndandi [J]D43 Nyanga [J]D50 [J]D51 Hunde [J]D52 Haavu [J]D53 Nyabungu [J]D54 Bembe [J]D55 Buyi [J]D56 Kabwari [JD501 Nyindu [J]JD502 Yaka [J]JD531 Tembo [J]D60 [J]D61 Ruanda [J]D62 Rundi [J]D63 Fuliiro [J]D64 Subi [J]D65 Hangaza [J]D66 Ha [J]D67 Vinza [JD631 Vira [J]E10 [J]E11 Nyoro [J]E12 Tooro [J]E13 Nyankore [J]E14 Ciga [J]E15 Ganda [J]E16 Soga [J]E17 Gwere [J]E18 Nyala [JE101 Gungu JE102 Talinga-Bwisi JE103 Ruli JE121 Hema [J]E20 [J]E21 Nyambo [J]E22 Ziba [J]E23 Dzindza [J]E24 Kerebe [J]E25 Jita [JE221 Rashi JE251 Kwaya JE252 Kara JE253 Ruri [J]E30 [J]E31a Gisu [J]E31b Kisu [J]E31c Bukusu [J]E32a Hanga [J]E32b Tsotso [J]E33 Nyore [J]E34 Saamia [J]E35 Nyuli [JE341 Xaayo JE342 Marachi JE343 Songa [J]E40 [J]E41 Logooli [J]E42 Gusii [J]E43 Koria [J]E44 Zanaki [J]E45 Nata E46 Sonjo [JE401 Nguruimi JE402 Ikizu JE403 Suba/Suba-Simbiti JE404 Shashi JE405 Kabwa JE406 Singa JE407 Ware JE411 Idaxo JE412 Isuxa JE413 Tiriki JE431 Simbiti JE432 Hacha JE433 Surwa JE434 Sweta [J]F20 [J]F21 Sukuma [J]F22 Nyamwezi [J]F23 Sumbwa [J]F24 Kimbu [J]F25 Bungu Zone K K10 K11 Chokwe K12a Luimbi K12b Nyemba K13 Lucazi K14 Lwena K15 Mbunda K16 Nyengo K17 Mbwela K18 Nkangala K20 K21 Lozi K30 K31 Luyana K32 Mbowe K33 Kwangali K34 Mashi K35 Simaa K36 Sanjo K37 Kwangwa [K321 Mbume K322 Liyuwa K332 Manyo K333 Mbukushu K334 Mbogedu K351 Mulonga K352 Mwenyi K353 Koma K354 Imilangu K371 Kwandi K40 K41 Totela K42 Subiya [K402 Fwe K411 Totela of Namibia Zone L L10 L11 Pende L12 Samba & Holu L13 Kwese [L101 Sonde L20 L21 Kete L22 Binji Mbagani L23 Songe L24 Luna [L201 Budya L202 Yazi L221 Lwalwa L231 Binji L30 L31a Luba-Kasai L31b Lulua L32 Kanyoka L33 Luba-Katanga L34 Hemba L35 Sanga [L301 Kebwe L331 Zeela L40 L41 Kaonde L50 L51 Salampasu L52 Lunda L53 Ruund [L511 Luntu L60 L61 Mbwera L62 Nkoya [L601 Kolwe L602 Lushangi L603 Shasha Zone M M10 M11 Pimbwe M12 Rungwa M13 Fipa M14 Rungu M15 Mambwe [M131 Kuulwe M20 M21 Wanda M22 Mwanga M23 Nyiha M24 Malila M25 Safwa M26 Iwa M27 Tambo [M201 Lambya M202 Sukwa M30 M31 Nyakyusa [M301 Ndali M302 Penja M40 M41 Taabwa M42 Bemba [M401 Bwile M402 Aushi M50 M51 Biisa M52 Lala M53 Swaka M54 Lamba M55 Seba [M521 Ambo M522 Luano M541 Lima M542 Temba M60 M61 Lenje M62 Soli M63 Ila M64 Tonga [M611 Lukanga Twa M631 Sala M632 Lundwe M633 Kafue Twa Italics indicate extinct languages. Languages between parentheses are varieties of the language on their left. The Guthrie classification is geographic and its groupings do not imply a relationship between the languages within them. Narrow Bantu languages by Guthrie classification zone templates Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones A–B) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones C–D) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones E–H) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M) Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kafwe Twa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafwe_Twa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafwe_Twa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.