Barwe in Zimbabwe

ChiBarwe language is also known as Cibalke, Balk or Barwe in Mozambique. The Mozambican Barwe is almost identical to the Sena language. In Zimbabwe, ChiBarwe is populary known as Hwesa which is mainly spoken in the north eastern parts on Nyanga district, Manicaland province near the border with Mozambique. Specifically, the Barwe are found under Chief Katerere of the Hwesa totem. Mukwewa, Mukatsa, Mashumba, Sangoma and Mbiriyade are some of the villages that speak ChiBarwe. An archaic form of the ChiBarwe language is spoken in places like Katerere, Khoso, Kaitano and Munzara, places which are along Gaerezi River along the border of Mozambique. The Barwe people lived as a distinct polity in areas that today are on both sides of the border between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Most of them occupied land in Samatamba and Kairezi before being forced to scatter during wars with the Portuguese. They then fled Portuguese aggression in Mozambique and settled in Zimbabwe. The Barwe people are also found in Mudzi as well as in areas between the Mazowe and Honde Rivers. ChiBarwe has three dialects namely; Catandica Barwe spoken in the Manica Province of Mozambique, Nyanga Barwe (Hwesa) spoken in Nyanga in Zimbabwe and Changara Barwe spoken around Tete Province in Mozambique. Among these three varieties, the Catandica variety is regarded as the true version of Barwe because it has remained unchanged. The Changara variety has significantly changed due to its contact with Nyungwe and the Nyanga variety has also changed as a result of its contact with the Manyika dialect of the Shona language. There are 3, 298 (0.02%) mother-tongue speakers of the ChiBarwe language in Zimbabwe.