Does anyone know what language is spoken there, between natives and the white's? I think the tribe is Kalagana, but I'm not sure. I would like to learn a few words. Most important hopefully will be "What a beautiful Leopard!"

Any other comments on the area, people, anything will be appreciated!

Plum Tree, Matopas Hills region.

I thought the native people of the Matapos area are Ndebele/Matabele (same thing) and they speak Sindebele.

Could be wrong!

...The Lingua Franca in that area (between black/white) is FANAGALO.

"LO INGWE LAPA YENA MUHLE STELEK!" That leopard is very pretty.

JLS

The people are Amandebele (the peole of the long shields). They speak a derivative of Zulu - siNdebele.

The Kalanga and Rozwi as reminants of the original inhabitants of the area. Outside of the matopos hills all the people ( properly Karanga) were exterminsated, either by shoshangaan (a breakaway zulu chief) who swep through the area in 1826 and whiped out the portuguese missionaries and all white traders in the area before finally settling in eastern mozambique. Then came Mzilikazi's AmaNdebele (abreviated by Europeans to Mateble) who completed the exterminations or assimilations. The surviving Rozwi in the Maatopo hills were left as surfs to grow food for the matebele.

On the edge of the Matebele territory proper those Karanga tribes that didn't like getting raded twice a year for grtain and cattle, sued for peace- paid a recognised tribute in grain to the matebele and adopted their language, although they retained their own tribal customs, religion and basic culture. These are now known as Kalanga. ( siNdebele has no R sound) See my post - 'some light humor' from a couple of weeks back on the intracasies of local lingo!

Ganyana,

Only an extinguished graduate of Plumtree could answer so brilliantly.

Perry

Ganyana,
Great history lesson, Thank You.
So the language is Fanagalo, not africans like I heard in Namibia?

PWN - just becuase I disliked the headmaster and he fell over his desk doesn't mean you need to snipe - Besides when people ask me where I was educated I can honestly say " I wasn't - I went to Plumtree" ( just in case you haven't noticed from the spelling/gramar etc...

Wolgar- Yes - Fanagalo or any Zulu based language works fine.