Ndau
- This page is about the Ndau ethnic group and language of Africa. Ndau is also an alternate name for Pendau, an Indonesian language.
The Ndau ethnic group inhabits the Zambezi valley in central Mozambique all the way to the coast, and eastern Zimbabwe, south of Mutare. The Ndau are considered a sub-group of the Mashona tribe. The ancestors of the Ndau were warriors from Swaziland who intermarried with the local population. As a result, the Ndau language is related to both Shona and Swati.
Demographics
As of 1991, it was estimated that there were 109,000 Ndau in Mozambique, 391,000 in Zimbabwe and 500,000 in all countries. Recent estimates place the number around 1.5 million. Ndau is the church language in Beira. The Ndau practice Christianity.
Politics
Renamo, the Mozambican National Resistance Movement, draws support from the Ndau in the Sofala province of Mozambique, in part due to their poor socio-economic conditions.
See alsosena
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