By Nangamso Mabindla
25 March 2004

It was all smiles at the Gompo community centre, in Buffalo City, when Nelson Mandela look-alike Ayanda Mbatyothi took food parcels to the community's senior citizens on Wednesday.

Mbatyothi, who works with local businesses to collect food and clothing for various communities around the city, handed out bread and other essentials and promised to return with a donation of clothing. "We have collected clothes and will bring them to you, with the winter season closing in," he said.

Thanking Mbatyothi, Gompo pensioner Dorris Nyembe said that when she saw him arrive "I knew some relief had come for us".

She added: "It brings us joy when our young people look after us. I'll be able to go to bed with a happy heart today, this is what life should be all about."

Mbatyothi, who grew up in the impoverished township of Ziphunzana, said that growing up poor made him realise he wanted to help others. He now uses his familiar face to get sponsorships for community projects.

It was imperative that young people did something to help the community's elderly, said Mbatyothi. "These people are often forgotten and I feel that we need to make them feel important. We should always remember that without them we wouldn't be here."

Social worker based at the community centre, Linda Boniwe, said she was grateful for Mbatyothi's assistance. "Since Ayanda started working with us, we've been able to assist people with necessities such as clothes and food." Boniwe urged the youth "to help make life worthwhile for our senior citizens".

But Mbatyothi's stop in Gompo was not only to help the elderly. He also donated a soccer ball to the Duncan Village Brothers Football Club.

However, this was no ordinary football. It bears a well-known autograph on it - the signature of one Charles Dempsey, the man who single-handedly scuppered South Africa's hopes of hosting the 2006 Soccer World Cup by abstaining during a vital round of voting on the various bids.

Mbatyothi said the football club had approached him for assistance, as it did not have a soccer ball. Mbatyothi took the opportunity, when touring Switzerland in December, to approach the former Oceania Football Association president, who gave him the autographed soccer ball for the club.

Accepting the football, Duncan Village Brothers PRO Mpumelelo Mpithizelo said sport was important fighting crime in the poverty-stricken township. "If we can take kids off the street and encourage them to make a living out of sport, crime will definitely drop. They in turn, will be able to bring something back to the community."

And as for the football players - their shooting skills will no doubt improve.