There seems to be always someone you meet in the course of travelling to report on golf touraments who leaves a lasting impression, an impression in the nicest manner.
Someone other than those working on the Tour and travelling back and forward to tournaments.
Those volunteering to drive the courtesy cars or the buses back and forward from the hotel to the golf course or a security person working the tournament media centre simply checking each day your entry badge while it could be someone within the dining rooms or one of the clubhouse employees.
With this theme in mind the return this week of the DP World Tour to Durban for a first occasion since 2014 encouraged me to go back through my collections of happy snaps I took that week all of 11-years ago.
Obed Mbatha – the Hilton Hotel Durban’s famed badgeman and doorman points to his Claret Jug badge I presented to him during the 2014 Volvo Champions in Durban. Image – GolfByTourMiss
Here in the folder that I had probably not opened in 11-years was a handfull of images that jumped right out at me. It was the ‘Badgeman’ who was the doorman at the Hilton Hotel in Durban and the official hotel in both 2013 and ’14 for the Volvo Champions.
His name was Obed Mbatha and he was a wonderful character, a larger than life person who always greeted you with a beaming smile and engaging manner.
He was in his early 70s back in 2014, so not sure if Obed is still with us though I’ve been in touch with the hotel and also the author of the content further down in this artticle to ask if they can answer that question for me. I do wish Obed is still with us.
And Obed is not just famous in Durban but across the worldwide Hilton Hotel family having won the Hilton CEO Light and Warmth award for 2013.
Look closely and you can see Obed proudly pointing at his Claret Jug badge I so happily gifted him. (Image -GolfByTourMiss)
The contenders for the award were nominated by their colleagues and selected from more than 3 300 candidates worldwide. There were 11 winners.
And now I am quoting from a local media outlet named ‘The Witness‘ that wrote an article on Obed in May 2014, and just three months following my time spent in Durban.
So, please bear in me as the following was written nearly 11-years ago …. enjoy and thank you to The Witness’s Steven Conan.
“There are 400 000 team members in Hilton internationally,” says Markus Fritz, general manager of Hilton Durban. “So, to be one of 11 is an outstanding achievement. We are really proud to have Obed.”
Obed Mbatha – How could you not enjoy meeting a person like Obed. Image – GolfByTourMiss
Mbatha (72) vividly remembers when he began working at the hotel. “I began standing on the doorstep of the Durban Hilton on July 11, 1997. Now I’m part of the furniture.”
Mbatha’s famous badge-encrusted blazer, not to mention his warmth and professionalism, have led to his becoming a popular Durban figure, while his job has seen him meet and greet everyone, from heads of state, captains of industry and Bollywood stars to families simply on holiday.
“During the 2010 World Cup, I met Sepp Blatter,” recalls Mbatha. “I have also met Bill Clinton, Tony Blair — and all our presidents: Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.”
And lots of children. “They come to see the badges and I bend down so they can look at them.”
Mbatha’s own childhood was spent in KwaMthashane near Vryheid. After his school years, Mbatha first worked as an electrician, followed by 25 years at Dunlop Tyres where he became a foreman supervisor. “But that was not my life,” Mbatha says of these jobs.
After leaving Dunlop, he worked part-time as a taxi driver, which is how he came to the notice of frequent passenger Rob Samuelson, a well-known talent spotter and personnel recruiter for the hospitality industry.
Samuelson organised for Mbatha to be interviewed when the Hilton first arrived in Durban. When Mbatha subsequently received his letter of appointment, he recalls jumping for joy. “That’s when my life started,” he said.
It was also the beginning of his badge collection. “The first badge was the Hilton Logo and then my name badge.”
As one conference followed another — from HIV/Aids to COP 17 — so did the badges. “People had these badges and I began collecting them.”
Mbatha is now on to his third blazer. The first was retired with 980 badges on it — the second with 675. The current count is 708, which means he daily bears a burden of 6,5 kg. “It’s heavy. I get cramps if I stay in one place,” said Mbatha. “I have to keep moving around.”
Mbatha is no stranger to awards. In 2010, he received a Living Legends Award that is awarded annually to community members in the eThekwini Municipal area in recognition for their contribution to city life.
Mbatha has also played a prominent role in local soccer, as player, coach and referee, even founding his own team. A KwaMashu resident, he is a member of the KwaMashu African Football Association and founder of the Durban supporters club for Moroka Swallows.
Mbatha, a pastor at the Lambert Zwane Methodist Church, said he is frequently asked by young people where he finds the energy and strength to do his job. “I tell them it’s love. I love people and I love my job. But the strength is not mine, it’s the Almighty’s.”
FOOTNOTE …
I was in contact with the Hilton Durban and Anthony Smith, the Commercial and Interim General Manager very kindly reached out to advise Obed had retired and would check on his well-being.
