Babirwa originated from Transvaal in South Africa and settled in the Tuli block area in Botswana. In this area Botswana and South Africa are separated by the Limpopo River. The language of Babirwa is called sebirwa, which is a Sotho dialect. Babirwa are settled in the eastern part of Botswana with their capital being Bobonong village. They are also found in Molalatau, Kobojango, Tsetsebjwe, Mathathane, Motlhabaneng and other villages all of which are around the Selibe-Phikwe area. There are some Babirwa in Zimbabwe in the Gwanda area. |
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Bobirwa Subdistrict is a jurisdiction in Botswana. It is populated by the Babirwa (Ba-Birwa) people who came from Transvaal in present-day South Africa.
Sebirwa or Birwa, the language spoken by the Babirwa people, is a dialect of Northern Sotho, along with Bididi, Lobedu, Kgaga, Hananwa, Pedi, Phalaborwa, Pulana, Tshwapong, Kutswe, Phahladira, Pai, Kopa, Kubu, etc. Northern Sotho is one of three Sesotho subgroups of Basotho. The two others are Western Sotho (better known as Setswana, which is largely spoken in Botswana), North West Province, a small number of people in Matebeland Province of Zimbabwe and Southern Sotho (spoken in Lesotho, Free State, and Vaal). The Basotho came from Ntswanatsatsi.
The Birwa of Zimbabwe are numbering 17,500. They are part of the Bantu, Sotho-Tswana people cluster within the Sub-Saharan African affinity bloc. Globally, this group totals 35,000 in 2 countries. Their primary language is Birwa. The primary religion practiced by the Birwa is ethnoreligion. Ethnoreligion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity.
The Bobirwa area in Botswana is famous for its fertile loamy soil which obviously means they are agriculturists who practice crop production and livestock farming. The area is also known to be the home for many game animals hence it has many national parks.
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