Bonga · wild cat
Bonga is the wild cat. A Shona dictionary describes bonga as a wild cat taken as a totem by the people of Chihwa, and gives Chihwa as a praise name of those who keep it. It is kept by the Bonga Chihwa clan, praised in its poem as Sigauke, Mutambara, Garwe, Bumhi and Ngonyamu.
The Bonga Chihwa poem is short. It thanks the clan as Chihwa, Sigauke, Mutambara, Garwe, Bumhi and Ngonyamu, and gives it a wild creature's wariness: startled by a footprint, trembling at the sight of a person. It also says that what has fallen to the ground they do not eat. The same dictionary adds that the Bonga keep away from the nhiriri, a wild cat that goes about at night.
Bonga mutupo wevanhu vanoera bonga, katsi yemusango. VaChihwa vanorumbidzwa seSigauke, Mutambara, Garwe naBumhi. Detembo ravo rinoti vanovhunduka kana vaona tsimba kana munhu. Duramazwi rinotiwo vaera Bonga vanoyeresa nhiriri.
The wild cat. A Shona dictionary describes bonga as a wild cat taken as a totem by the people of Chihwa, and says the Bonga keep away from the nhiriri, a wild cat that goes about at night. Some lists give Bonga as the tortoise; no source here supports that, and the same dictionary gives the tortoise to the Gwai totem instead.
Men are greeted as Chihwa, and the poem also calls the clan Sigauke, Mutambara, Garwe, Bumhi and Ngonyamu. Women are greeted as Bonga or Chihwa.
Bonga Chihwa.
Traditionally, people of the same mutupo and chidawo do not marry: they are counted as one family. Between different Bonga clans some families allow it, often after a ceremony that cuts the kinship (kucheka ukama).
Pick your totem and clan once. The app greets you by your praise name after that.
Made in Zimbabwe by Invalcre (Pvt) Limited. Free, and they work offline.
Provisional Test ZimbabweZimbabwe VID test and Highway Code
DanhoZIMSEC O and A Level past papers
BhaibheriThe Shona Bible and its hymnals
DenheZimbabwe's public record
