EXTRACT FROM Cattle of the Ages PUBLISHED BY Jacana Media
A coffee table book about the Ankole cattle breed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and photographer Daniel Naudé is a narrative and pictorial celebration of these majestic beasts. This is an extract from the book.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on his farm Ntaba Nyoni.
“Referred to as the ‘Cattle of Kings’ by the Banyankole people of Uganda, the Ankole have a special place in my heart. The photographic portraits of these splendid animals, taken by Daniel Naudé, allow us to experience their majesty and the awe they inspire.
“Once I had first set eyes on the Ankole in Uganda, I was determined – in some ways to the point of obsession – to ensure that this breed could find a new home in South Africa… I count the birth of the first Ankole calf 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. It is especially gratifying to have enabled the Ankole to be officially registered and recognised as one of the most recent cattle breeds in South Africa. I also take joy in being the largest Ankole breeder in the country.
“I am sure my late cattle-loving father would have been proud to see that I have become a cattle breeder. That I have become a breeder of three stud cattle – the Boran, a Kenyan breed; the Bonsmara, a South African breed developed by Prof Jan Bonsma; and, of course, the Ankole – would have amazed and pleased him no end. My hope is that the words and pictures in this book pay due tribute to the Ankole and will deepen our knowledge about them and other African cattle breeds.”
– Cyril Ramaphosa
Cattle of the Ages retails for R850. For more information, visit jacana.co.za.
