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Bakgalaka Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Varies by sub-clan (e.g. crocodile/ngwena among the Bakwena-of-Kalanga origin; other Kalanga clans revere the rabbit, eland and other animals)
History & origin
Bakgalaka (also Bokgalaka, the place/people term) is the Sotho-Tswana name for the Kalanga (Bakalanga) people and the land where they reside ('Bokgalaka' = where the BaKalanga live). The Kalanga are a Bantu people of south-western Zimbabwe, north-eastern Botswana and parts of Limpopo in South Africa, and are descended from the Great Zimbabwe / Butua (Torwa-Rozvi) state traditions. They are the second-largest ethnic group in Botswana after the Tswana. In Limpopo (e.g. around Bochum) groups call themselves Bakgalaka/Bakhalaka. The Kalanga are organised into many clans each with its own totem; for example the Bakwena/Ngwena of Kalanga origin at Marobela in Botswana's North-East District revere the crocodile. Sometimes confused with, but distinct from, the Bakgalagadi (Kalahari Sotho-Tswana).
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Nkani, Ndzimande/Ndzimu (Kalanga clan surnames), Bakwena ba Kalanga.
We publish the full diboko (clan praises) only once we can verify them against documented tradition — for this clan they are still being confirmed. If you can share an authoritative version, corrections are warmly welcomed.