A Story That's Very Close To My Heart
On the back of Dr Kaizer Motaung's induction into the South African Hall of Fame and Kaizer Chiefs celebrating their 54th birthday in early January, Soccer Laduma editor Vuyani Joni caught up the club's former Public Relations Officer, the charismatic Putco Mafani, to shed some light into the behind-the-scenes life of the 79-year-old founder of the Naturena-based club. If you thought you really knew the Chairman who's known for his quietude, you'll be surprised how wrong you are because the stories narrated here will paint a completely different picture of who Dr Motaung is, in comparison to the person we see when the cameras are on. Read on and enjoy this intriguing insight into the life of the man who has given so much to SA football.
Vuyani Joni: Tshawe (Clan name), as one of the people who worked closely with Kaizer Chiefs Chairman, Dr Kaizer Motaung, and continue to share a great relationship with him, we couldn't look any further for someone to speak to, in honour of this living legend. With him having been inducted into the South African Hall of Fame in November 2023 and the club celebrating its 54th birthday this month (January 7), we felt it is only fair that we shine the spotlight on the man who has done so much, not only for his club but South African football at large. What kind of a person is "Chincha Guluva" behind the scenes?
Putco Mafani: Gaba (Clan name), that's a very interesting one because very few people have a regard of his behind-the-scenes life. I honestly find his life off cameras quite fascinating. Before I tell you about the light-hearted side of this legend, let me tell you about his serious side.
VJ: Right.
PM: Bra K is loyal behind his convictions! When he's convinced ngawe (about you), he does not change. Akajiki endleleni (He never turns back on his way), you know? I remember when he recruited me together with the late, ooTata u China Ngema and Clarence Mlokoti. That was the original board of Kaizer Chiefs and Mr Mlokoti was from eTsomo, Eastern Cape, while Mr Ngema was from Nongoma, KZN, and there was also Abdool Hamid Muhammad. Bra K's board was brilliantly put together because it had diversity, as you can tell from the names I have just mentioned and the guys' backgrounds. I will tell you why I am mentioning this because it was hardly a week after Bra K had sent Hamid to go look for me at SABC, where I was doing iindaba zesiXhosa (Xhosa news) and I was also sports editor at Kaya FM in 1999, when we had done a story that Chiefs' then PRO, Louis Tshakoane, had vacated his position. For me, this was just another story, but the next thing I heard was that Kaizer wanted to see me. When we met, my Chiefs interview wasn't even done in the team's office. It happened at Hamid's place, who was the Financial Director. It was me, Kaizer and Hamid. At the interview, he made it clear into yokuba (that) he saw no one to replace Louis other than me because they had been observing indlela endiyikhonze nendiyithande ngayo le (the way I worshiped and loved this) team ndisasebenzela u (while working for) Reebok, where I was before joining Kaya FM. You'll remember that Chiefs had Reebok as their technical supplier, with Total as the main sponsor then. I had been managing Reebok sponsorships for both Chiefs and the Natal Sharks.
VJ: Ok.
PM: I would go to Chiefs and pay attention to the club's needs but also pay attention to Kaizer's needs as the Chairman. There were also our athletes like Neil Tovey, Brian Baloyi and Thabo Mooki, among others, who were sponsored by Reebok and had their own personal contracts with the company. In a nutshell, when Kaizer recruited me to join Chiefs with the two gentlemen I mentioned earlier, he knew exactly what he wanted. Now, within a few days after my official announcement as the new PRO, there were two opinion pieces that were so negative towards Kaizer's decision. These were written by two top publications, one a daily and the other a Sunday newspaper, as editorials. Both guys were slashing Kaizer, saying he had made a big mistake by appointing someone who didn't even speak Sesotho, to look after Chiefs supporters' interests. "How will this person, as a Public Relations Officer who is not of a Sesotho background, do that job?" They said Kaizer had made a blunder because Louis was the best and now he brings someone who has not been tried and tested. He's also brought a Xhosa guy from the Eastern Cape. Now, I'm talking about Kaizer's loyalty to his convictions.
VJ: Mhhh.
PM: Kaizer knew what he wanted and he stood by me! People don't know that he invited one of the guys who wrote negatively about me to lunch at one of the restaurants in the South of Johannesburg. We sat there, the three of us, and Bra K told the guy, "You know, Kaizer Chiefs has a Xhosa from Eastern Cape in our board. I may be Sotho, but this club doesn't belong to Basotho only. This club is loved and supported by people from all the provinces of this country. I found your column very unfair in the sense that you've not even engaged Putco to understand what his vision will be and how he plans to rise above whatever challenges he may face. You don't know if he has a language challenge, what is he planning to do about it. You didn't even give him a chance to prove himself." The man realised his mistake and soon after that, I had a supporters' Imbizo at the Village. All the branch chairpersons were in attendance, as I needed to articulate my plan to them. As they say, the rest is history.
VJ: Indeed, and the Chairman was vindicated because you became a huge success at the club.
PM: Exactly. I told you this story to prove that when Kaizer believes in something, he stands by his belief and he will be loyal. That was a big lesson to me because that man protected me. If he didn't stand up for me, that could have potentially destroyed me before I even took to my job. Absolutely! This was before I even appeared at the stadium in front of the supporters. You must remember, at that time, the only public appearance I had made was when we were introduced at that massive press conference at Naturena. It was me, Muhsin Ertugral who was the new coach taking over from Paul Dolezar. There were also new players who were paraded, like Mohammed Ouseb, Robert Nauseb, Patrick Mbuthu; players from development like Isaac Mabotsa, Jabu (Pule) Mahlangu, Nhlanhla Kubheka, you name them. There were a lot of changes at the club, but I just admired how this man was loyal to his convictions. He really shocked me because he believed in me more than, probably, I believed in myself. Remember, we are talking about filling some really big shoes here because Louis had been there for a good 14 years. That man had left huge shoes.
VJ: True that.
PM: When Kaizer looked at my passion, which is what my second book I'm busy writing now is about – Power of Passion – for what I was doing, contributing to the club from a distance, as I was representing the sponsor, he felt I should get the job. I never had a situation where I was competing with other people because he was convinced I was made for the job. We went to Hamid's house on a Sunday afternoon and they interviewed me over lunch. By the time we met at the same venue the following Sunday, we were talking money and all that, but money was the last thing on my mind. I was just humbled by knowing that I was going to become a part of this massive club that I had been supporting as a laaitie (youngster) when the likes of Ace Ntsoelengoe, Teenage Dladla, Ryder Mofokeng and many others were still playing.
VJ: Legends of the game with a rich history, as they contributed immensely to the club's history. You mentioned the lighter side of the Chairman…
PM: Let me tell you something people don't know about Kaizer! "Chincha" has an unbelievable sense of humour, but people who see him from a distance won't know about it. There are people who have a sense of humour but, because of their achievements, they appear to ordinary people as boring, silent and all that. That's particularly because they are high achievers. Working with him at Chiefs Village, for instance, we had management's meetings every Tuesday morning at 09h00. We would go around the table, with every manager giving a report and telling everyone what was going on in their department that week. We had a standard agenda and we'd do a status report on matters arising. If the Chairman notices impukane apha ebhodini (a fly on the board)… Let's say Bobby (Motaung) is busy presenting from his department and the technical team and this fly keeps bothering us, Kaizer would be like, "(Clear his throat) Errr… Bobby, please just wait. Kune mpukane la (There's a fly here). Errr… Tshawe, khawuthethe nale mpukane ngesi Xhosa kaloku maan ihambe (please talk to this fly in Xhosa so that it goes away) because I can see it is from Transkei." Ha, ha, ha, everyone would burst into a huge laughter and it would take us time to recover and refocus, ha, ha, ha.
VJ: Ha, ha, ha, we would never have imagined him like that!
PM: Ha, ha, ha, I'm telling you, that man has a sense of humour. If he wants to joke about someone in the boardroom, he will look at me and say, "(Clearing his throat) Errr Tshawe, ubusithi uBobsteak utheni ngo (what did you say Bobsteak said about) Joni?" That time he is coming for Vuyani, but he's taking a longer route by getting Bobsteak involved, ha, ha, ha. That would always catch everyone's attention because wonke umntu (everyone) wants to know what Bobsteak really said, when he had not said anything about anyone, ha, ha, ha. Oh man, if only our people could experience that man the way some of us were privileged and blessed to do. I need to say this about "Chincha", you see that thing about the Glamour Boys of Phefeni in the early '70s? People, from the public's point of view, saw these neat guys with floral shirts, bell-bottom jeans, if you remember Michael Jackson and guys like Lionel Richie's image back in the day. When you get on the inside of the Kaizer Chiefs Village, you realise that apart from the dress code, Kaizer is a very neat person! Very neat!
VJ: Good!
PM: The man has an obsession of cleaning his space. You will find him busy dusting his table off. You walk into his office, he's talking to you, but one hand is busy dusting. The man is highly organised and you will find him sorting out and repacking books in his office. He'd clear his throat and say, "I hear you", but he won't stop cleaning his desk because it is like he's obsessed with cleanliness. Cleanliness is next to godliness, they say, and I found that to be intriguing about him. Ulinene la Tata (That father is a gentleman). He's gentle in the way he conducts himself just as the way he dresses. With him, you are always guaranteed a very good and positive environment. Untidy people will never survive around him, trust me. If you are dirty or untidy, don't even apply for a job at Chiefs!
VJ: Ha, ha, ha, they are not called the "Glamour Boys" for nothing!
PM: I'm telling you! If Kaizer comes to your office, he will attend to the point of discussion, but he will be looking around and pinpointing wrong things. He will tell you, "Uyabona le (You see this) office, I wouldn't be surprised if kukho amagundwane (there are rats here)! I saw these boxes in the same position they are in now, last week. That means, while we are busy developing and producing players, you are busy producing rats in your office, ha, ha, ha." He will laugh so much and leave you speechless.
VJ: Unbelievable!
PM: Sometimes he would take a lift with me. Let's say siya kwi (we're going to a) memorial service, sometimes ndimkhaphe siye e (I accompany him to the) PSL offices or we are going to Soweto. On our way, he will be sitting on the passenger seat in my car and he would be busy cleaning the dashboard or criticising something about the car not being 100% clean. "(Clears his throat) Eish, this car is dirty, man! How can we win the league title when we travel in dirty cars like this? Look at the dust!" Ha, ha, ha, can you believe it? I don't want to lie, I think "Chincha" was my finest boss and I have been very fortunate to be recruited by top industry champions in my life. This man was so supportive throughout my stay at the club and I think he saw something in me that I didn't see in myself at all. It was only when I was already in the job that I could see some of the things he had already seen in me. Without his belief in me, I would never have known what I was capable of.
VJ: He really unlocked a beast in you and you grabbed the opportunity with both hands. You didn't disappoint him as someone who strongly believed and trusted in you.
PM: Exactly! It really helped to have someone like him who believed in my talent and made me realise my potential. You have to get closer to him to realise how fine a gentleman he is. A man full of fun, laughter and a great sense of humour. Another important character that I should mention is that Kaizer respected everybody at the Village. He was the only one who would get to the office, take a walk to have a conversation with the securities; he would go have a conversation with the groundsmen and the general cleaners. You would find him in deep conversation with the ladies who were running the team's laundromat because he believed in treating and respecting everyone equally. These are people who wash the players' kits, full of sweat and all that, and the supporters don't get to see and appreciate these people's contribution, so they are unsung heroes. Kaizer would come to the boardroom and ask if we ever think of rubbing shoulders with the people who are doing these unfancy jobs at the Village, like people cutting the grass, cleaners and all that? He would ask if we knew how important those people are? How important it was that we made them feel important because the players' training and welfare depended on them. The happiness of the coach about the condition of the training fields was dependent on these guys. He taught us, in an organisation, everyone is equally important.
VJ: Another interesting and important lesson on humility, from the great Kaizer Motaung! We tend to look down on people doing 'unfancied' jobs when they play very important roles in our workplaces.
PM: Absolutely! You can go to Naturena now and ask the groundsmen and they will tell you about the Chairman spending time with them. You will hear the same story from the people operating the laundry, the kitchen, the cleaners and everyone working at the Village. The man taught us that an organisation is like a human anatomy. The hand can't think it is more important than an elbow because it can't take the food to the mouth without the help of the elbow. That is the philosophy he taught us.
VJ: When we made the call through, we knew we would get proper insight into the Chairman's life away from the spotlight, but never did we envisage getting so much quality. You have really helped us celebrate, acknowledge and appreciate this living legend while he is still with us. Thank you so much, Tshawe, we really appreciate it.
PM: You're welcome and thank you, Gaba. All I'm here to do is give Dr Kaizer Motaung his flowers while he's still alive. Do you know when we were in South Korea in the Peace Cup, this man even arranged for me to take a picture with Pele? When we came back, we got gold medals for participation in that tournament and the Chairman gave me one. I still have that medal to this day! I was surprised because I wasn't part of the technical team, so I didn't expect to get a medal. However, he made sure that I was counted among the recipients of the medals.
VJ: Surely that was his way of showing appreciation for the great job you were doing at the club.
PM: Absolutely! Absolutely! His approach was that, "Yes, you may not be a player or a technical team member, but you are an important team member because you make those on the field to play well by playing your part." He appreciated the fact that bendisigcwalisa i (I used to fill up the) stadium. Hayi (No), Gaba, bendisigcwalisa istadium andifun' uxoka (I used to fill up the stadium, I don't want to lie)! My job was to fill up the stadium and all my branches were aware of my five-point plan for the team. I told them: Guys, this is a five-point plan I have created for you as the branches of this club. 1. When we play home games, we need all of you there because that's another revenue stream for the club. Yes, it is good that you are there when we play away, but the emphasis is on home games. 2. When we play cup finals and the Soweto Derby, it doesn't matter where you are based, I want you at the stadium! 3. Whatever programmes we were doing in the office, our branches would be the first people to know about before anyone else. 4. No fong-kongs because buying counterfeits is stealing from the club. Go to the shops to buy proper club merchandise because a percentage of the purchase goes to the club's coffers. This is very important for the supporters to understand so that they participate in the club's revenue income. 5. I would tell all branches to hold general meetings every first Sunday of the month and they will be getting correspondence from the team's PRO before that meeting so that whatever is discussed in the boardroom, they also know about it. That way, the supporters were part of the team because they knew things about their club even before the media caught wind of it. That way, the branches were the second board of the club.
VJ: That meant they were part of the team.
PM: Correct. That meant there was a strong bond between the club and the supporters. For instance, when there was a crisis on April 11, 2001, "Chincha" didn't panic because he already knew the bond I had with the supporters, not just Chiefs supporters. They knew my voice and had a strong relationship with me, which was very key. When you are a PRO, you are a stakeholder relationship manager.
VJ: Once again, thanks, Tshawe. You really made your mark and we are sure even the naysayers ended up eating humble pie, looking at your contribution.
PM: You're right about that. They came back, regretting everything and I liked that because they ended up being supportive. They started writing positive articles and they learned their lesson. If it wasn't for Bra Kaizer's confidence and belief in me, he could have been swayed to reconsider his decision, but he stood with me through it all. By giving me this opportunity, you've really touched me with a story that is very close to my heart.
