This chapter examines the dynamics of the Nguni projects in the Eastern Cape. These projects are designed and implemented by a number of organisations, including the provincial Department of Agriculture and the University of Fort Hare. They are the result of policy initiatives to resurrect some of the developmental processes that were set in motion during the colonial and apartheid eras. Nguni projects target the so-called communal areas of the Eastern Cape and other provinces in the country. They cover the same areas that were set aside in the past, first as reserves and later as homelands.

A critical examination of the wider Nguni project reflects some of the particularities of post-apartheid policy dynamics. This chapter addresses the perspective that rural development should revolve around the Nguni as a pivotal element of plans to transform communal livestock farming. The ‘Ngunisation’ of the cattle stock in the communal areas also symbolises the redress of injustices of the past, which resulted in the Nguni gene pool's becoming owned and controlled by white commercial farmers. Returning the Nguni to their original custodians represents the reclamation of indigenous knowledge and wealth.

The chapter describes the historical shifts and changes that have attended cattle breeds, genetic make-up and ownership in the region. These provide the rationale for the design and implementation of the Nguni projects. We then examine the ideas and assumptions that underpin the Nguni projects. This is followed by an account of how people in the villages respond to the Nguni project initiatives. We conclude by examining the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the Nguni projects.

Livestock and historical changes

Livestock has played an important role in the history and development of the people and landscapes of South Africa. Cattle production currently contributes between 25 and 30 per cent of the country's total annual agricultural output in the form of meat, milk and live animals. Cattle are also a major resource in culturally inspired rituals (such as funerals and weddings) and serve as a source of security in times of difficulty. The Eastern Cape province alone has over 3.2 million head of cattle (NDA 2008). Some 1.9 million of these, according to the Eastern Cape Veterinary Report (ECDA 2008), are owned and kept by African people who reside in the former homelands of the Eastern Cape: the Transkei and the Ciskei.