Vincent Mthembu with pupils from Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool at the restaurant named after him. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi Vincent Mthembu with pupils from Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool at the restaurant named after him. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi
HISTORY was made yesterday for gatekeeper Vincent Mthembu, when a restaurant located inside the Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool in Pretoria east was named after him.
The 43-year-old father of two from Soshanguve has worked as gate guard at the school for 11 years.
He was visibly overwhelmed and proud to have been made a part of the school and had made enough impact for it to recognise his hard work.
Mthembu was described by pupils at the school as the most humble, calm and collected guard anyone could encounter.
Grade 12 pupil Itumeleng Malu-leka said the school was blessed to have Mthembu as a gate guard.
“You can never go wrong; leave your things by the gate under his watch and you will find them there safe and in good condition.
"He has truly earned the trust of all of us,” Maluleka said.
It was almost impossible for her not to get along with Mthembu because of his
personality, she said.
“You cannot not get along with him. Even when I don’t see my parents’ car, he will be the first to point it out to me,” said Maluleka.
The pupils also said Mthembu knew all their names and who their parents were.
Zahn Rijnen, a Grade 12 pupil, said she had known Mthembu for five years.
“He knows my parents’ car, knows my name and friends. So I guess that is just extraordinary for a guard because he knows everything about almost every pupil in the school,” said Zahn.
Mthembu's name came up among a lot of the entries for the name of the restaurant. It made the top 10 - and then the finals.
The pupils had been given a chance to take part in the naming of the restaurant that is privately owned by the school’s alumnus Chantal Smalberger.
And thus the school’s restaurant, Vincent’s, was officially opened yesterday.
It will service both the school and members of the public.
Vincent’s offers breakfast, pan- cakes, milkshakes, pies and wraps among many other dishes, and specialises in private function meals. It also has space to accommodate private functions.
Mthembu said like every other landmark, he also wished for the restaurant to be respected and well taken care of.
“It would break my heart if something bad happened to this restaurant because that would also mean my name is brought to shame,” said Mthembu.