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Batlhaping-ba-Phuduhutswana Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Kudu (tholo) - the documented Tlhaping totem; the fish (tlhapi) is a nickname, not a true totem
History & origin
The Batlhaping are a southern Tswana group whose name was a nickname meaning roughly 'people of the fish' (Ba-tlhapi-ng), reportedly given by the Barolong because in early times the group subsisted on fish from the Vaal River; despite the name, their actual totemic animal is the kudu (tholo), reflecting their Rolong-related origin. They first settled around Dikgatlhong near the Harts/Vaal junction, later moving to Dithakong and then Kuruman, where Kgosi Molehabangwe ruled (he died in 1812); Dithakong was a major Tlhaping capital visited by early-19th-century Cape expeditions. The Batlhaping ba ga Phuduhutswana (Phuduhutswana section) are concentrated mainly around Kuruman, Danielskuil, Kimberley and Vryburg in the Northern Cape.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Phuduhutswana, Molehabangwe, Mothibi, Maidi, Tlhaping 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.