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Batawana-ba-Moremi Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Duiker (phuti)
History & origin
The Batawana are an offshoot of the Bangwato of Serowe, formed after a late-18th-century succession dispute when Kgosi Tawana and his followers left and migrated to Ngamiland in north-western Botswana. They successively established capitals at Lake Ngami, Toteng and Tsau, and finally at Maun in 1915. Like their Bangwato parent group, the Batawana venerate the duiker (phuti) as their totem. Their history includes the defeat of an invading Ndebele force at the Battle of Khutiyabasadi in 1884. The Moremi dynasty supplied the ruling dikgosi (the line associated with leaders such as Mathiba/Moremi), and the community is internationally known for founding the Moremi Game Reserve in 1963 — the first protected area in Africa created by a local community rather than colonial authorities. The Batawana are one of Botswana's eight principal Tswana tribes.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Moremi, Tawana, Mathiba.
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.