Home › Clan names › Sotho › Bamolibeli
Bamolibeli Clan — History & Meaning
Sotho clan · Sesotho
Totem Crocodile (kwena) — the Bamolibeli are a senior Bakoena lineage
History & origin
The Bamolibeli are a senior branch of the Bakoena (crocodile) clan of Lesotho, descended from Tsolo (son of Tsoloane). They are notable because, in Bakoena genealogy, the Bamolibeli are reckoned as the senior line — Moshoeshoe described himself as 'of Kali' (Monaheng), the ancestor of most Lesotho Bakoena 'with the exception of the senior Bamolibeli'. Bamolibeli groups crossed the Vaal under leaders such as Tsotelo and settled in the area of present-day Bethlehem (eastern Free State).
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Mokoena, Tsolo, Tsoloane, Tsotelo, Bakoena.
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.