The Kavango people, also known as the vaKavango or haKavango, are a

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...

ethnic group that resides on the

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

n side of the Namibian–

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

n border along the

Kavango River The Okavango River (formerly spelt Okovango or Okovanggo), is a river in southwest Africa. It is known by this name in Botswana, and as Cubango in Angola, and Kavango in Namibia. It is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, runni ...

. They are mainly riverine living people, but about 20% reside in the dry inland. Their livelihood is based on

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish far ...

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

-keeping and cropping (mainly

pearl millet Pearl millet (''Cenchrus americanus'', commonly known as the synonym ''Pennisetum glaucum'') is the most widely grown type of millet. It has been grown in Africa and the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times. The center of diversity, and ...

). The

Kavango Region Kavango (before 1998: Okavango) was one of the thirteen regions of Namibia until it was split into the Kavango East and Kavango West Regions in 2013. Its capital was Rundu. In the north, Kavango bordered the Cuando Cubango Province of Angola, an ...

of Namibia is named after the people. In traditional politics they are divided into five kingdoms (

Kwangali Uukwangali (also Ukwangali, Kwangali, and Kwangari) is a traditional kingdom of the Kavango people in northern Namibia. Its capital is Nkurenkuru, its Hompa (king) is Eugene Siwombe Kudumo. The Uukwangali speak ruKwangali Kwangali, or RuKwanga ...

, Mbunza, Shambyu,

Gciriku Gciriku is a traditional Kavango people, Kavango kingdom in what is today Namibia. Its people speak the Gciriku language. The Gciriku (Rugciriku: ''vaGciriku'') are one of the many ethnic groups in Namibia with a population of 50,529 as of 2023. T ...

and

Mbukushu The Mbukushu people, also known as the Hambukushu, are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group indigenous to Southern Africa. They are part of the larger Lozi ethnic group and have significant populations in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia, number ...

), each headed by a ''hompa'' or ''fumu'', both meaning "king". Traditional law is still in use and legitimized by the Namibian constitution. The Kavango people are

matrilinear Matrilineality, at times called matriliny, is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which people identify with their matriline, their mother's lineage, and which can involve the inheritanc ...

. The most common language spoken is

RuKwangali Kwangali, or RuKwangali, is a Bantu language spoken by 85,000 people along the Kavango River in Namibia, where it is a national language, and in Angola. It is one of several Bantu languages of the Kavango which have click consonants; these are t ...

(in

and Mbunza territory); also spoken are Shambyu,

, and

in the corresponding territories. Their religion is mainly

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

although traditional elements still have a place. During the harvest season in April the vakwangali people eat (mafumpura) a tuber like plant which is dug from the soil when it starts to crack. Their kitchens are built outside houses which they call (masuga) the roof of this kitchen is mainly thatch. Their staple food is pearl millet porridge. Pearl millet is also used by them to make a fermented drink.

The extended family concept

Ekoro is a very important social relation in

kinship In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says that ...

systems of Kavango. It may be roughly referred to as an

extended family An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family of parents and their children to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins or other relatives, all living nearby or in the same household. Particular forms include the stem ...

, but it is more than that. It is a social relation dominantly rooted in

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

and it is not necessarily determined by blood connections. The clans are ranked according to seniority, and whoever belongs to a junior clan (irrespective of age) is deemed young by those in the senior clan. There is a command of respect and high level of obedience towards the senior clan. Other people can also become clan members by seeking

allegiance An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens to their state or sovereign. Etymology The word ''allegiance'' comes from Middle English ' (see Medieval Latin ', "a liegance"). The ...

due to various unifying circumstances such as floods or war.

References

Notes

External links

Namibia
at

Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensive catalogue of languages. It w ...

The Mbunda Kingdom Research and Advisory Council
{{Authority control Bantu peoples Ethnic groups in Namibia

The extended family concept

References

Notes

Further reading

External links