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Sekhukhune Clan — History & Meaning
Pedi clan · Sepedi
Totem Noko (porcupine) — the totem of the Marota/Bapedi royal house, of which the Sekhukhune are the ruling lineage.
History & origin
Sekhukhune is the name of the ruling royal lineage of the Maroteng (Marota) house of the Bapedi, and gives its name to Sekhukhuneland in Limpopo. The historical figure Sekhukhune I (Sekhukhune wa Sekwati, reigned c. 1861-1879/1882) was the Pedi paramount who led the Bapedi in the Sekhukhune Wars against the South African (Transvaal) Republic and later the British; the British defeated him with Swazi assistance in 1879 and he was killed in 1882. The Bapedi royal house, descended from the Bakgatla-derived Maroteng, venerates the noko (porcupine). The Sekhukhune name remains central to the Pedi paramountcy and to the district/region named after it.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Sekwati, Thulare, Marota, Maroteng, Mampuru.
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.