HYBRIDS and composites are both cross-breeds.
Hybrids, in general, are considered to be first crosses of purebred parents, while ‘composites’ are the result of mating between cross-bred parents.
The same attention to breed choices and sire selection must be applied in building composites as in straight-breeding.
Composites must be carefully formed to avoid in-breeding. Composite-bred cattle do not sustain the high levels of heterosis as with traditional rotation cross-breeding systems
According to experts: “Heterosis is the recovery of accumulated inbreeding depression; thus, managing inbreeding in composite breed formation is critical to success.”
Traditional cross-breeding systems of rotations and rotation-terminals are very efficient in maximising heterosis.
The Government of Southern Rhodesia in the 1940s was promoting a cattle improvement scheme for indigenous farmers by cross-breeding what they termed ‘inferior’ indigenous cattle with imported exotic bulls from Europe.
Len Harvey (b.1916-), a land development officer in the Department of Conservation and Extension in the previous Rhodesian Government’s Ministry of Agriculture, had strong reservations concerning the scheme and pointed out the necessity to research the possibilities of developing an indigenous or cross-bred type cattle, more suited to farming conditions in then Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).
In 1942, while Harvey was stationed in the Lowveld area south of Gwanda, working together with indigenous farmers. He noticed a distinctive type of ‘yellow’ Sanga cattle among the varied indigenous cattle herds.
He believed these yellow cattle to be superior to other indigenous stock, better adapted local conditions and in consistent good condition.
In November 1945, after four gruelling years trying to convince the authorities, 3 000 acres were finally set aside in Guyu, 40km south-west of Gwanda for a cattle breeding programme with the aim of improving indigenous cattle through a process of ‘selection’ rather than cross-breeding; just as my great-grandfather Chikambi Zvimba had done in applying traditional husbandry knowledge.
In 1950, the station was enlarged to 20 000 acres.
Harvey, now only 29 years of age, was immediately tasked to set up a breeding station.
Some of these distinctive cattle were purchased from smallholder farmers to study and determine if they could be improved and whether or not they would breed ‘true’.
The initial intention of the breeding station was to develop an indigenous breed better suited to the area’s prevailing hot, dry conditions and to breed suitable bulls to assist in improving indigenous smallholder cattle stock.
In 1946, the purpose-built Tuli Breeding Station, located on the banks of the Tuli River, 20km from Gwanda, was commissioned by the Government.
Here the Tuli-Makwe Dam was built in 1966 to provide irrigated water to a local settlement scheme and the breeding station which later also served as a Government administration centre.
This was the beginning of the Tuli cattle breed developed in this country, from the Tswana cattle indigenous to south-western Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana where over centuries these cattle developed, through natural development to suit the arid environment.
In 1961, the Tuli Breed Society was formed. In 1979, owing to security considerations associated with the war of liberation (circa 1965-1979), the Tuli herd was moved to the Matopos Research Station, near Bulawayo.
The initial founding herd had 20 cows and one bull.
Within months, the number of cattle rose to 60 cows and two bulls.
Harvey would personally select animals at the local cattle sales he thought would prove to be good as foundation stock for what was to become the Tuli breed.
In time, the farm on the Guyu Creek, a tributary of the Tuli River, became known as the Tuli Breeding Station (TBS), with the number of Tuli cattle reaching 1 000 in 1961.
‘Tuli’ is a Ndebele word describing the arid area ‘utuli’, meaning the bowl of dust.
This large hardy breed, originally known by the Shona as ‘machuchuta’, is well-adapted to the arid conditions of Matabeleland where it was bred by the original Shona people.
It is able to thrive in extensive conditions from the Karoo to the coastal bush.
Shona chiefs selected the most docile and domesticated cattle for their herds.
Their domestication and selective breeding practices enhanced the machuchuta cattle and refined its evolution, long before King Mzilikazi’s invasion and the onset of the Ndebele people into the country.
The Tswana cattle was originally a bos taurus animal that migrated down through to southern Africa where over 5 000 years, by mutations and natural selection, it became ideally suited to a wide range of conditions across Zimbabwe.
The cattle from the research station were originally distributed to local indigenous African farmers, but soon proved popular with white commercial farmers who acquired bulls from the station.
By 1948, Tuli cattle were competing at farm shows throughout Rhodesia (Zimbabwe); winning year after year, beating exotic contenders with over 300 years of recognised breeding management.
The Tuli was registered as an indigenous Rhodesian breed in 1955.
By 1961, numerous Tuli steers won all carcass competitions at three most important agricultural shows in the country; earning, to everyone’s surprise, the coveted ‘Triple Crown’ Trophy for the Tuli Breeding Station.
Seven Tuli stud breeders were later established in the country. Currently Tuli herd records are maintained on the Herdmaster-Breedplan.
Grand Champion Jambo Tuli Stud 12-0721J was awarded the biggest prize of the year at the 2016 Zimbabwe Agricultural Show which the South African Interbreed judge described as: “A Tuli bull the likes of which have never been seen before.”
A group of Tuli steers with a Jambo sire from Watershed also won awards in the ‘Best Steer group’.
Harvey’s lifelong interest in cattle and his personal commitment to improving indigenous farmers’ cattle in Zimbabwe through improving their livestock was the driving force behind the development of the breed born and bred in Zimbabwe – the Tuli!
The Tuli is docile, productive, highly fertile, early maturer with good meat carcass; traits that have been preserved in the breed which soon became very popular.
Tuli cattle are a form of Sanga cattle closely related to the Tswana breed from Botswana.
It has a small thoraco-cervical hump, very smooth coat and is uni-coloured – ranging through shades of white, ‘yellow’, golden-brown or red but never black.
Its colours facilitate for adaptation to intense sunlight; lighter-coloured Tuli cattle are in greater demand due to their ability to withstand high temperatures and a high level of natural resistance to ticks, flies and internal parasites.
Its short, straight and glossy coat makes it difficult for ticks to latch on and dipping is very effective and soaks through easily.
Its long active tail with its thick, strong tail-brush can remove flies from the length of its body.
The Tuli’s skin is very tough and supple, making it difficult for flies to bite.
These are some of the natural adaptations developed over 5 000 years.
Having been exposed to African tick and fly-born diseases and parasites over such a long period of time, mutations and natural selection have increased the Tuli’s hardiness to a level that imported exotic breeds cannot compete with.
The improved Tuli has been distributed to several countries in Africa; especially in neighbouring Botswana and South Africa.
More recently, according to the Zimbabwe Tuli Breed Society, Zimbabwe exported 10 Tuli Bulls and 24 pedigree heifers to Zambia, which is seen as positive development and milestone for the Tuli Breed.
In South Africa, a composite of Tuli and Limousin cattle has recently been developed, named ‘Tulim’ cattle, and in Gabon, the breed has also been used to develop a synthetic known as the ‘Okouma’ cattle breed.
Since Tuli cattle were imported from Zimbabwe, the South African Tuli breed stock is closely linked to the breed in Zimbabwe, with the exchange of cattle still continuing today.
The Zimbabwe and South Africa Tuli Breed societies work closely together and have joint genetic evaluations of the Tuli populations.
The Tuli has also been exported to Australia, Canada, Argentina, Mexico and the US.
Ironically, when Australia decided to import the breed, it used embryo transfer in order to limit the possible transmission of African cattle diseases and parasites.
Readers of this series will remember the repeated cattle losses and devastations suffered by indigenous Africans in southern Africa were a direct result of cattle imported from Australia by Cecil John Rhodes.

Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, lecturer, musician, art critic, practicing artist and corporate image consultant. He is also a specialist art consultant, post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher.
For views and comments, email:tonym.MONDA@gmail.com