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Mokwena Clan — History & Meaning
Ndebele clan · isiNdebele
History & origin
Mokwena is the Setswana form corresponding to the Sesotho Mokoena, denoting a member of the Bakwena (Bakoena), a major Sotho-Tswana clan whose totem is the kwena (crocodile). Bakwena tradition traces the group to an ancestor Kwena within the wider Sotho-Tswana family that also produced the Hurutshe, Ngwato, Kgatla and others; Bakwena polities became politically prominent in what is now Botswana (the Bakwena of Molepolole being a leading example) and the name is also widespread in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. As with related Sotho-Tswana clans, the genealogies are oral and dates are approximate.
Notable figures & facts
Notable bearers are not securely documented as clan representatives, so I make no specific attribution.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Mokoena, Bakwena, Kwena.
We publish the full izithakazelo (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.