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Bakone Clan — History & Meaning

Pedi clan · Sepedi

Totem Documented totems include Hlagahlagane/Tlhantlhagane (scaly-feathered finch / guineafowl) and in some lines Phuti (duiker). The name Bakone is used broadly for early Sotho-Tswana settlers of the Transvaal interior.

History & origin

Bakone is an old, somewhat generic Sotho-Tswana designation for early Sotho-speaking inhabitants of the eastern and northern Transvaal (Limpopo/Mpumalanga) escarpment region, predating and partly absorbed into the later Pedi polity. The term was applied to groups already settled in the area before the rise of the Maroteng/Pedi paramountcy, and Bakone groups were among the constituent peoples of the Pedi empire that stretched across the Limpopo highveld and lowveld.

Associated surnames

Surnames that share this clan: Kone, Matlala, Mamabolo.

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.

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