Who the Batlokwa are
Wikipedia describes the Batlokwa (Tlokwa, Batlôkwa) as Kgatla communities in Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa. It says most of their clans trace a royal lineage to Kgwadi, a son of King Tabane, and that Sotho and Tswana traditions point to a northward origin. The article carries several “needs a source” flags, so we treat the details below as a starting point.
The totem
The article does not use the word seboko. It says the original Tlokwa totem was the Tlokwe cat, now extinct from over-hunting for its fur, and that in Botswana the totem is the thakadu (ant-bear), linked to a story about finding water in holes the animal had dug.
MaNthatisi and Sekonyela
MaNthatisi (about 1781 to 1836) was regent for her son Sekonyela after her husband Mokotjo died. The article says her people were first known in English as the “Mantatees”, and that her army was estimated at 40,000 at its height. It reports a defeat by Makaba of the Bangwaketse in January 1823 after which she retreated east. The Makaba II article we read does not mention this, so we note the point as unconfirmed. The article on Kaditshwene says the Batlokwa under MaNthatisi sacked that Bahurutshe town in 1821; see the Bahurutshe page.
Sekonyela, born in 1804 near Harrismith, was a rival of Moshoeshoe I. Moshoeshoe defeated him in November 1853. He later obtained land in the Herschel district, where he died in 1856.
Where the Batlokwa live
- Free State: seven branches are listed, including the Batlokwa ba Mokgalong (Tsotetsi), Mota and Masene. For the Mota branch see Batlokwa ba Mota, which follows a government commission’s determination on its paramount chief.
- Limpopo: north of Polokwane, with clans including Ba Ga Machaka and Ramokgopa.
- Botswana: the article says Batlokwa arrived in 1887 and settled at Moshwaneng on the Notwane River under Kgosi Gaborone, after whom Botswana’s capital is named.
Izithakazelo (direto)
We have not found a published text of the Batlokwa praises, so we are not printing one. If you belong to the Batlokwa and recite them, we would like to record them, with your permission and credited to you.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Tlokwa (cites Becker, 1968; Lipschutz and Rasmussen, 1989; Landau, 2010; Dale, 1995)
- Wikipedia: Kaditshwene
Do you belong to the Batlokwa? Tell us your praises, your totem and what elders say about the tribe’s history, and we will add it, credited to you. Share what you know or WhatsApp 065 138 8213.