(PHOTO) MEET NELSON MANDELA'S LOOKALIKE

Cross paths with Ayanda Mbatyothi and you could be forgiven for
thinking you have seen a ghost.
The 37-year-old has minor celebrity status in South Africa as a Nelson
Mandela lookalike. He performs his famous speeches, earns cheers at
political rallies and, in a reference to the struggle hero's clan
name, was once told by an aghast Mandela: "You are young Madiba."
Now he is coming to terms with the death of the man he imitates and
admires. "I couldn't believe it," he said last week in a voice
spookily reminiscent of the late president's own. "Mandela is a true
hero of the people. He fought black domination and white domination.
He's like Jesus Christ. Maybe after three days God can bring back
Mandela."
Should that not transpire, Mbatyothi will have to do. "I'm going to be
a reminder. People show their children: 'That's Mandela.'"
He has no known blood ties to Mandela but like him is from the Xhosa
people in Eastern Cape province. He recalls that 20 years ago he was
campaigning for the African National Congress (ANC) and carrying a
picture of Mandela when the resemblance became obvious. "People
stopped me and said why do you look like that man?"
In 1996 Mbatyothi, from a township in East London, came face to face
with the then president Mandela himself. "They came to me and I shook
the mighty hand. I mimicked him. He said: 'He looks like me. You are
young Madiba.'"
It has become Mbatyothi's trademark ever since. He set up a company
called Young Madiba Productions which he says is involved in
advertising and supplying stationery to the government. He has
appeared in roadshows, a live performance in Europe and a South
African comedy film. When he attends an ANC rally and his picture is
projected on a big screen, the crowd erupts.
In 2001, he says, he read Mandela's celebrated 1964 speech from the
dock at an audition for the film adaptation of his autobiography Long
Walk to Freedom. Mbatyothi claims he won the audition and remains
upset that, when the film was finally made a decade later, the lead
role went to Britain's Idris Elba instead.
"When you watch the Long Walk to Freedom movie, anyone can see they
need an African person. Somebody who gets the poverty. You can't go to
America and play Obama."
Mbatyothi also does charity work, citing Mandela as his inspiration.
"I became 'Ayanda and young Madiba'. People respect me because of him.
I'll continue to follow in his footsteps. Every year I do a Christmas
party for the community. They come and collect a food parcel and say:
'This is what young Madiba is doing for us.'"community. They come and
collect a food parcel and say: 'This is what young Madiba is doing for
us.'"
Over the years Mbatyothi has met Mandela's ex-wife Winnie and their
daughter Zindzi as well as the South African president, Jacob Zuma. He
says he will be at the funeral in Qunu on Sunday. "It's difficult to
go and bury your twin. I've got all the pictures of Mandela because I
miss him."
Among the Mandela doppelganger's biggest fans is his manager, Xhobani
Thole, who said: "He is a replica of the man during the treason trial.
He can mimic him, he can smile like him. Not only does he look just
like Madiba, but his passion for the old man you can't believe. He'll
kill for the old man.
"At the beginning of Long Walk to Freedom, he could have played the
part in a more genuine way. I've said to him that now Mandela has
died, there may be more opportunities coming up. Madiba's legacy will
live forever."