ABSTRACT
Some 300,000 Tonga inhabit the Southern Province of Zambia and adjacent provinces of Rhodesia. In the hills of the Rhodesian escarpment and in the Zambezi Valley near the Kafue River entrance, Tonga and Shona villages are intermixed. Major differences in language and custom distinguish the two peoples, but in their spirit cults, Tonga and Shona (especially Korekore and Zezuru) show many resemblances. The Tonga have probably borrowed much from the Shona, though their closest linguistic and cultural affiliations are with fellow Zambians of Southern and Central Provinces.
