Just fix that departm Ent at Chiefs
The Glamour Boys on. Did we mention that he’s on first name terms with club supremo, the one and only Kaizer Motaung? Hectic schedule and all, Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina managed to pin down Mgebe, as per Holomisa’s clan name, as he shares how he first me
Those fortunate to have watched General Bantu Holomisa’s 60th birthday celebrations on then lifestyle television programme Top Billing, aired in August 2015, would agree that the well-known politician is admired by the who’s who of this country and beyond. Thabo Mbeki, Kaizer
Masebe Qina: Greetings, Baw’ uMgebe, and thank you for availing yourself to talk to Soccer Laduma readers. As we understand it, you were known for being a rugby player in your youth days. How did your love of football begin?
Bantu Holomisa:
I played soccer while growing up and when I went to high school, I played both soccer and rugby, as well as tennis. At the college, we had sports facilities and sports back then were my favourite. I went to Jongilizwe College in 1971. This was around the same time when Kaizer Chiefs was established (in 1970), and I immediately fell in love with the club. In 1984, I was appointed as the manager of Tembu Royals (popular semi-pro club from Mthatha in those days). Tembu Royals was one of the big clubs in the former Transkei and in the country back then because we used to play friendly matches against the likes of (Orlando) Pirates, Chiefs and so on. I was the (team) manager from 1984 up to 1987 and I had to quit when I became the head of government (of Transkei) in 1987. So, I started playing football at lower primary up to high school, and after finishing high school and already working, I played rugby, firstly for Oriental Rugby Football Club. Later, the Defence established a rugby team and I played there for the Transkei Defence Force.
MQ: How did you become an Amakhosi supporter?
BH:
To be honest with you, I had never been a follower of any club prior, so Chiefs is the only club that I have ever followed. I was impressed with the way they played football and the way the club was managed. I mean, Kaizer Chiefs came with a big bang when the club was established. The team was in your face, and to think that from those days the marketing was not like today … because these days if you have a budget, you are in … the club was doing well. In those days, there were no cellphones and this and that, and you would depend on reading about the club. On Sundays, when you went out to buy a newspaper, or listened to the radio, it was all about Chiefs. But the Xhosa radio station then, which is now called Umhlobo Wenene, didn’t broadcast football. I remember at the college, if we wanted to follow Chiefs on radio, we had to go and climb a mountain to catch the commentary via the radio station that is now called Lesedi FM. On a lucky day, you would be able to catch the match via Ukhozi FM. Those were the days!
MQ: Who were some of the players you enjoyed watching?
BH:
Wow! You talk of Pele Blaschke from Namibia, “Banks” Setlhodi who was a goalkeeper, you had “Umgababa” (Gerald Dlamini), there was (Petrus) “Ten-Ten” Nzimande, (Johannes) “Ryder” Mofokeng, and there was Kaizer (Motaung) himself during those days, although he didn’t play
Motaung, Khulu Sibiya and Kalusha Bwalya were some of the dignitaries to have graced the glittering occasion in Johannesburg. But besides being the President of the United Democratic Movement, he is a sports enthusiast of note, a bug that caught him more than five
DAY, “ON A LUCKY BE ABLE YOU WOULD THE MATCH TO CATCH FM. THOSE UKHOZI VIA DAYS!” WERE THE
decades ago. His loyal Kaizer Chiefs, a team fell in love with the fir time he laid his eyes o them, knows no boun Such that whenever th opportunity presents itself, the outspoken a sometimes controversi politician can be seen at the stadium cheerin
for that long because he had to become an administrator.
MQ: A visionary of note, and look at how huge the club is now.
BH: There were a lot of players. Then there was the generation of the likes of (Abednigo) “Shaka” Ngcobo, and then there were the likes of (Leonard) “Wagga Wagga” Likoebe. Teen age Dladla was recruited – unfortunately the person who scouted him and one of the directhe tors of Chiefs at time, Ewert Nene, was assassinated. All I am saying is that it was easy to follow Chiefs and that’s why I followed them when I was still in the college. I graduated in 1975 after I finished my matric.
MQ: We’re listening…
BH: My mom was a nurse in Johannesburg and I used to visit her in Dobsonville, where she was staying. Whenwould ever I was there, I make sure that I bought my match ticket during the week already to make sure that on the weekend I was able to watch Chiefs. Fast-forward to 1980, I think, I went to Eloff Street. I think Chiefs had offices there and Cecil Mosupporters taung (Chiefs’ relations manager) was there, and he is still there even now and
being the main man, but he is a very quiet fellow. I told him that I would like to meet the Chairman and he had no problem walkpassage ing me down the to introduce me to Kaizer.
MQ: We’ve always wondered how it all started.
BH: Ha, ha, ha, it started then, and that’s why Kaizer once told people in one of the gatherings … I think it was my 60th birthday … he said, “Why are we being followed by this soldier? Who is
MQ: What d changes in man
BH:
“Chincha Guluva”, talks about why he believes the club is going in the right direction managementwise, and some of the issues that give him sleepless nights regarding the performances on the pitch. It’s vintage Bantu Holomisa unplugged, enjoy!
a, ha, ha. We had already y then, and I remember ays, since I had been introCecil, by we would somea before match and then ether to the stadium. For if a match was starting at day before we would meet nds of Kaizer in what was d the A-team. But it didn’t there because even when as the manager of Tembu oyals, I used to interact ith Kaizer and (the late) Zola Mahobe, who was with (Mamelodi) Sundowns at the time, among others. (As Tembu), we used to exchange players with Zola Mahobe if at Sundowns they had players that they were not using, and from us if there were players that they were willing to test, we would allow for them to go. We did the same with Chiefs. There was that kind of a relationship.
MQ: Sounds a very good working relationship. BH: Chiefs, at the time, ere being sponsored by ppa and Motaung introEmy me to Casaletti (who f Chiefs’ marketing team) ers and sisters who were appa brand. Tembu Royppa as sponsors. We ended lubs like Chiefs coming to ce Stadium (in Mthatha) ly matches with Tembu. riod where they identified a and he was recruited to Mthobeli Zokwe, although I became the manager of p going to Chiefs, as well d Remember.
you think agement?
of the club’s e (Motaung) is doing the h age catching up, I think is giving the management dren while it is still early. by (Motaung) used to own downtown Jo’burg and I er suggesting that Bobby involved in the running of e other hand, Irvin Khoza his daughter Zodwa, who d on. They were doing well ning the clubs and focused do with the administrarse, Bobby was more into matters and Zodwa was r and involved more with ted stuff, I think. But the methodology that both clubs were using was more or less the same. (From what I understand), they were both being groomed under the Casaletti sisters and one of them is Emy, who is married to Kalusha Bwalya. I guess that is why Vodacom was attracted to sponsor both clubs because the marketing strategy was more or less the same.
MQ: And Kaizer Motaung Junior? BH:
Kaizer Motaung Junior was still playing soccer at that time. He has since been introduced to management and
I think he is grasping the fundamentals quickly because he was a player. I see Junior filling the gap of his father in terms of knowledge and knowhow of football. But he has to work with Bobby (and everyone in the management). The other thing that people need to also look at is that, when you are running a club as a manager, you need to always go to your seniors – the people who own the club – for budget. You have to be able to convince them. I look at the quality players that we bought recently and I’m satisfied. When they take to the pitch, you can see that for the first time (in a while), Chiefs have bought quality players. The only area that I am worried about is goalkeeping… and maybe also in the midfield. If we can focus on those areas – one goalkeeper and a midfielder, a steady guy but a distributer of the ball and not just someone who runs all over the show. You need someone who is a hard tackler in midfield. We have not filled the space of (Tinashe) Nengomasha. Even (Willard) Katsande, we have not replaced him. You need a player of the quality of those two fellows because the ones we have now are short and can run all over the show and are shy to mark sometimes.
MQ: “The General”, we can actually feel the passion that you have for the Glamour Boys! Go on.
BH:
Regarding the transition, Kaizer is a very meticulous person and he doesn’t rush to make decisions. Even with coaches, you may sometimes feel that, “Eish, but this coach”, but Kaizer wouldn’t want to interfere in that department. It’s because he used to be a player himself and he understands football. During games, sometimes we would be sitting next to each other at the stadium, with Bobby and Junior with us, and people would be talking about the performance of players. “Eish, there is a gap that side”, but Kaizer wouldn’t shout at the managers and things like that. He would just keep quiet. He knows when to speak. So, I think he has groomed those boys well… and his daughters. The pressure now is on the players. They have been brought to play for Chiefs, and if for some reason some of them are unable to make the right decisions at the right time, it reflects badly on them as players. I can’t see why when you are given a through pass, instead of shooting and trying to score, you want to turn back. That’s not coaching. You have been recruited and are being paid to score goals, why do you want to go backwards? The coach needs to correct only a few things here and there, but not to tell you that you have to shoot when you are clear on goal.
THAT I “I TOLD HIM MEET LIKE TO WOULD AND CHAIRMAN THE PROBLEM NO HE HAD ME DOWN WALKING PASSAGE…” THE
MQ: You’re right. Players get away with a lot, not just at Kaizer Chiefs but in South African football generally, and unfortunately coaches have to bear the brunt of those wrong decisions on the field. BH: Compared to the past two seasons, there is an improvement in terms of height for when we get corner kicks. Last season, it was only (Erick) Mathoho and one or two others who would be up there to compete. I want to emphasise about the importance of players making the right decisions, otherwise you would end up changing coaches time and again.
MQ: Are you confident that the current squad can win trophies?
BH: Ja, it’s been slippery throughout. I think we’ve got enough players, just they need to pull up their socks as well. We’ve got quality players, but if they play as individuals, then we will not win. They must play as a team, they must know when to pass and how to pass and to who and where. The space. I’m a fan of good midfielders and I still remember players like Doctor Khumalo who knew how to pass the ball. That has always been the strength of Chiefs for many years – the likes of (Jan) “Malombo” Lechaba, Shakes Kungwane and many others. Just fix that department at Chiefs, because if you look at that department, sometimes we will end a match with a high percentage on ball possession. Just one person, and in a crucial moment, will go and score against us. Our bench is full of football experts. I am pleased that Mangethe (Arthur Zwane) is still there, and the rest of the technical team is good. This current coach (Molefi Ntseki) iyalazi ibhola nayo (knows his football as well), and I see him now and again consulting with his bench during matches, and therefore it’s a working team. Again, I am just worried about the goalkeeping department.
MQ: Njengele, thanks once again for your time. Let’s hope Chiefs rediscover their glory days quite soon.
BH: Sharp.
To discuss this interview with Masebe, message him on @MasebeQina