An observant man who listens, he is cut from a unique cloth. He puts people first. He is a man of integrity and respect. He is such a cool man. He’s a funny man who loves comedy and music. He’s highly intelligent, left-handed, very analytical, and a perfectionist. And he is a little bit OCD.

That is Kaizer Motaung to his children. The Kaizer Chiefs boss turns 80-years-old today and his offspring spoke openly about what it is they find special about their father.

Jessica, the chiefs marketing director and Motaung’s second daughter, says it is somewhat surreal that her father has lived that long and “I am so blessed to have had the time with him”.

“He has evolved as a dad. He was a very strict dad at the beginning but always chilled and always an empowering person. A very great listener, very observant, a very kind dad, and also very engaging – that’s one of the things I appreciate, engaging him in intellectual discussions and always educating.”

Her younger brother, Kaizer Junior, who is the club’s sporting director, had to dig deep to find the right words to describe the man he admires deeply.

“How do I put that into words?

“He is more than my father and I can’t talk of how he impacted my life Ntate Motaung, Chairman – he’s a special individual and we are incredibly blessed for him to be able to reach the milestone of 80 (years) and be with us to continue sharing his knowledge and wisdom.

“I have a lot of respect for him and I’ll always see him as more than just my father.”

Junior has fond memories of his father fetching him from school and taking him to the club’s old offices in central Johannesburg. “I remember how beautiful it was when he’d take me from home to go watch the first team play on weekends.

“And then during the week after school, I’d go to the club’s office and my place was under his desk – either the boardroom or this office – and I would spend my afternoons in there drawing or writing things in my books. And he would always be on the phone or holding meetings with players or agents – I was too young to know who they were.

“He answered the phone so many times and he was always working. I realise now that he did all that to give me the kind of life that I now have.”

He says his father shaped him into being who he is now.

“I’ve never felt caged or restricted or directed by him. He very much allows you to be yourself and always with a loving touch. I can’t thank him enough for the life I’ve been able to live and the love that I‘ve seen in my family. He has guarded us in a special way.”

Kemiso concurs with Junior about the leeway their father gives them as she shares the story of how Motaung allowed her to decide the direction the club’s digital department – which she heads – to go.

“He’s such a cool man,” she says of her father.

“My dad seems like a serious man but he is an exceptionally funny man who likes to laugh. He loves music and comedy he and I connected in that way ... He is much more chilled than people think.

“Yes, he is a very pensive person, a bit of an introvert but highly intelligent. He is left-handed, he is analytical and he is a perfectionist. And he’s a little OCD, always touching lights and things must always be in place.”

The Star

matshelane.mamabolo@inl.co.za

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Kaizer Motaung: a father, a leader, and a legacy at 80