The president’s herd
humans emerged.
Ramaphosa may have grown up on the dusty township streets outside
Johannesburg, but his father Samuel
Mundzhedzi Ramaphosa herded his father’s and uncle’s cattle in Khalavha, Venda, his ancestral home.
Ramaphosa relates how he took his father’s legacy forward by buying a farm in Mpumalanga. Following discussions with Museveni, it was agreed that there would be a massive potential to add Ankole cattle to the many cattle breeds in our country.
It wasn’t a simple story, writes Ramaphosa. Facing a multitude of obstacles, it took many years before he had the pleasure of having the Ankole breed on his own farm. Through trial and error, experimentation, blood, sweat and tears, the handsome breed eventually arrived. Dr Morné de la Rey, from Embryo Plus, was instrumental in their breeding programme from the beginning.
The book is a narrative and pictorial celebration of the Ankole as they adapted to their new home in South Africa, 4 000km away.
“I count the birth of the first Ankole on South African soil as one of my proudest achievements, and it is a privilege for me to tell the tale of how it happened,” writes Ramaphosa.
The Ankole have proved a hardy breed, resistant to drought, ticks and disease. They have adapted well to their new environment and, as Ramaphosa informs, they are now eliciting much interest worldwide with their adaptability and resilience.
Ankole cows can weigh up to 540kg, while the bulls can weigh up to 730kg.
The massive beautiful white horns curve outwards, then upwards and inwards, and are deceptively light, yet can cause damage.
Inside the horns is a network of blood vessels and, as the blood moves through the horns, it is cooled and then moves back down to the body to lower its temperature. Their tails are long and ropelike, and serve as excellent insect swatters.
And most importantly, in terms of cattle breeding and surviving, the Ankole have adapted to highly stressed environments.
“Not only surviving, but thriving in a climactic area that is often given to boom or bust,” writes the proud cattle owner.
This book is testimony to Ramaphosa’s sage words and beautifully written narrative, and Naudé’s stunning photographs not only of the cattle, but of the beautiful landscape.
Beautifully produced, this fascinating book will reveal another endearing side to our president’s character, and is an absolute visual treat.