The promo was pregnant with promise. The level of excitement was sky high. There was a buzz in the air because someone out there had decided to do something exciting.
Something special was in the pipeline: the production of a documentary on the iconic and legendary Doctor Khumalo.
Bravo for the effort in The Untold Story Of Doctor Khumalo. But the first two episodes of the series on the football icon, nicknamed 16V, were devoid of detail that could have enriched the record of facts and information about a man who occupies a seat at the top echelons of South African soccer.
Don’t put me down as an expert on documentaries, but there are a lot of people offering mouthfuls of nothing — far from presenting nuggets that go beyond the obvious, such as that the Doc was a ladies’ man.
Seeing the subject seated at a desk at Daliwonga high school was a nice touch. An interview with one of the teachers, sharing recollections of the type of pupil he was. Was he an attentive pupil? Or was all Doc wanted to do was play ball and test his popularity with the girls?
There is a shot in which his sister talks about how sad he was at being omitted from Jeff Butler’s inaugural South African squad. A direct cut straight to Doc himself expressing his disappointment at the decision of the Briton would have given that raw emotion.
Don’t put me down as an expert on documentaries, but there are a lot of people offering mouthfuls of nothing — far from presenting nuggets that go beyond the obvious, such as that the Doc was a ladies’ man
Bafana hosted Brazil at FNB Stadium. The South Americans were world champions. The South Africans were African champions. It was a clash of the titans. Just a little bit more on him being substituted ...
Was he fatigued thanks to jet lag as a result of a long-haul flight from Argentina? That substitution swung the pendulum in favour of the Brazil of Romario and Bebeto.
As South Africans, we have a tendency to be shallow, pandering to the popular. We shirk our responsibility to think deeply about our heritage, including our messy past, and choose instead to roast meat in an orgy of apparent nation-building.
In the Doctor Khumalo story we had an opportunity to honour an icon, and tell a story that not only serves as a record of history, but to also inspire a cohort of young people who are unemployed and living in the world’s most unequal society.
It was a chance to properly document not only 16V’s life, but also put together a product that captures the rich and challenging environment that forged the legend. This also through hearing from those who witnessed first-hand and influenced the magic that contributed to the multibillion-rand entertainment business that is professional soccer today.
But in what we can only speculate was a decision driven by wanting to pull viewers, we were once again subjected to something that left one feeling they’ve just watched an impressive music video — lots of lights, big name stars, but not much in the way of substance.
It had all the current and popular faces, from disc jockeys to politicians, who were in no way directly involved in the good Doc’s story, nor could they offer any meaningful insight into how he came to be him.
Anyone who watches football knows that there once was a phenomenon of DK2. Doctor Khumalo and Donald Khuse, number 12 and number 15. Together, these guys turned the tables on opponents, toying with them like they were yo-yos. The duo even had a stint as caretaker coaches at Chiefs. I want to believe that Khuse has stories for days on Mdokis.
Speaking of opponents, surely there are many who had sleepless nights at the prospect of playing against Doc?
There are players today plying their trade in the Premier Soccer League who will end their careers without reaching a fraction of the heights that Doc scaled. The man is larger than life. His story is bigger than the dice on which it has been rolled.
Hopefully the next two episodes will do him justice.
