Community Contributions

Families known to use this name are from Kariba, in Mola and some from Chikankata in Zambia, whose ancestor (Zuru/Zvuru), a Gova (Shona) from chief Nyamhunga married a Tonga lady called Mwiinga across the Zambezi river on the Zambian side in chief Sinadambwe. Zvuru was a businessman who owned boats and used to fish and hunt hippos, which got him a name by the Tonga "Habbile/Siabbile"-meaning someone who when he goes somewhere doesn't come back early (kubbililila). When Zvuru crossed back to Nyamhunga to see his parents (family) he would take months without coming back hence the name. Zvuru's totem was gwai (sheep), commonly known as Zambu in Nyamhunga or Mukuruwambwa or Chuma. Zvuru's wife, Mwiinga's totem was Nzou and as a common practice in Tonga, a person carries both maternal and paternal totems and apparently the elephant totem was more popular among Zvuru family. Zvuru's first born to Mwiinga was named Gwariva and he is man with the largest known family of Zuru. Gwariva was a Mine worker and he used to cross from the Zambian side to Zimbabwe where he worked around Gwelo (Gweru) and Bulawayo and on his way back he also found a Tonga girl named Njemuzya in Negande area which during that time was under Gokwe (now under Kariba). He married the girl and instead of going back to the Zambian side, he settled on the Zimbabwean side along the Zambezi river in an area called Kasonde, where his aunt (sister to his mother) by the name ba Mutumba lived. Gwariva, used to use the word "tedeni" when he was speaking and he was then nicknamed as such. Some of his children included Chari, Mairos Munenga, Rari (Maimbo/Mutinhima), Kauso (Habboozya), Magadu, Samson (Makumi), Gande, Serina, Mangisi (Matemba),Petros and many more. Some family members crossed to Zambia and some are still in Kariba and Hurungwe. There are Gwariwa's siblings who moved back to Nyamhunga and Msampakaruma and these use Sichaya, Chukira or Mutete surnames. Those who remained in Zambia in chief Sinadambwe are Gwariva's siblings including Siabwanda/Siabwanda and some members migrated to Magoye area under Mazabuka and these families use Habbile and Habwanda/Siabwanda surnames. Most common surnames of the Gwariva famiy include Siabwanda, Rari, Kanda, Samanyanga, Zyuulu (from Zuru/Zvuru) and Haboozya. Zyuulu and Haboozya are widely used by families who crossed to Zambia between 1930 and 1950. Habbozya(Kauso)'s family which uses Habboozya surname migrated from Chikankata to Monze and some later to Kabwe for fertile land.

Nyamhunga people are said to have migrated from the area around Goromonzi (near Harare), under Gora, who is the last known ancestor of the Gwai/Chuma clan, and these were under Mutapa kingdom. Nyamhunga led his people early 1800  towards north west and settled at the confluence of Sanyati and Zambezi rivers. Gora's chieftainship is said to have been supplanted by Chikwaka and the case is still under dispute and the only known Gwai chieftainship to this day is the Nyamhunga clan in Kariba/Hurungwe. Gora is said to have migrated from Manica in Mozambique and he used to sell beads and hence the names Chuma or Musambadzi/Mushambadzi.