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Bangwaketse Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Crocodile (Setswana: kwena), shared with the Bakwena and Bangwato royal lines
History & origin
One of the principal Tswana chieftaincies of Botswana, an offshoot of the Bakwena descended from Ngwaketse, a brother of Ngwato (founder of the Bangwato); the secession is dated to roughly the early 18th century. Their historic capital is Kanye in the Southern District, settled in 1853 at Ntsweng Hill. The shared crocodile totem marks their common ancestry with the Bakwena and Bangwato. The Bangwaketse were a strong 19th-century military power under leaders such as Makaba II and later Bathoen.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Ngwaketse, Gaseitsiwe, Bathoen, Makaba.
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.