Eight days before the release of the much anticipated Mandela movie, Long Walk to Freedom, fake DVD copies are already being sold on the streets.

An SABC News investigation uncovered how quick and easy it is to get a copy for just R25. A street vendor was more than happy to sell an enticingly presented copy to the SABC.

Immediately after the transaction, the SABC alerted police leading to the arrest of two people on charges of possession and trading  in counterfeit goods. However when the SABC viewed the DVD  it was something else, instead of the real movie, a narration of Madiba’s life told by among others, Mandela himself, Mac Maharaj and Tokyo Sexwale began playing.

The sale of fake DVDs is rampant robbing the film and music industry of its livelihood. It is estimated that South Africa loses approximately R1 billion per year to counterfeit goods.