One name or two?
The article “The Siege of Leboho” by J. A. van Schalkwyk and S. M. Moifatswane (Military History Journal) says the spelling Hananwa uses an h where earlier writers wrote g, as in Ganawa and Lebogo, because the g sound does not occur in the Hananwa dialect. On that evidence Bagananwa, Gananwa and Ganawa are older or alternative spellings of the people now usually written Bahananwa, and the history is on our Bahananwa page. Our directory had Bagananwa and Bahananwa as separate entries, taken from a planning list that gave no sources; we have not found any source that treats them as two different peoples, but we also cannot rule it out.
Where the older spelling appears
The Capricorn District Municipality article of 30 September 2024 on the “Bahananwa from Malebogo” uses the modern spelling for the community of Kgoshi Ngako Malebogo outside Senwabarwana, who it says originate from Botswana.
What we have not read
We have not found a source on a Bagananwa chief, praise text or totem, and have not read Rae (1898), Sonntag, Weidemann (1946) or the 1905 Transvaal native affairs history, which spell the name in several ways. If you know whether Bagananwa is a separate community, we would like to hear from you.
Izithakazelo (direto) and totem
We are printing no praises or totem because none has been confirmed. If you belong to the Bagananwa or Bahananwa and recite your direto, we would like to record them, with your permission and credited to you.
Sources and further reading
- J. A. van Schalkwyk and S. M. Moifatswane: The Siege of Leboho (Military History Journal 8:5)
- Capricorn District Municipality: Bahananwa from Malebogo celebrates their history (30 September 2024)
Do you belong to the Bagananwa or Bahananwa? Tell us your praises and what elders say about the history, and we will add it, credited to you. Share what you know or WhatsApp 065 138 8213.