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Bakgatla-ba-Mosetlha Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Monkey (kgabo) - shared Kgatla totem
History & origin
A Kgatla section settled mainly in the Hammanskraal / Makapanstad area (North West, near the Gauteng border), South Africa. Oral tradition records an early-1700s split within the Kgatla in which the Mosetlha line separated from the Kgafela line. The Bakgatla ba Mosetlha are documented for the 'Diturupa' (regimental/military-parade) cultural commemoration, a tradition tied to their precolonial regiments. The generic Kgatla name is shared by several Sotho-Tswana groups that emerged in the central/western Transvaal around 1600; Mosetlha and Motsha settled in the Hammanskraal district.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Mosetlha, Motsha, Makapan, Kgatla surnames.
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.