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Bakgatla-ba-Mmakau Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Monkey (kgabo) - shared Kgatla totem
History & origin
A Kgatla (Bakgatla) section centred in the Brits / Mmakau area of North West Province, South Africa. They are one of the Sotho-Tswana Kgatla groups that emerged in the central and western Transvaal from around 1600. The MaKholokoe are recorded as a sub-group associated with the Bakgatla ba Mmakau. Like other Bakgatla they trace descent within the broader Kgatla cluster (the parent body from which Kgafela, Mosetlha, Mmakau and other sections branched). Documented totemic tradition for the Bakgatla is the monkey (kgabo).
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Kgatla / Bakgatla surnames, Kholokoe, Tabane, Khetsi.
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.