Mzwakhe Mbuli, or the peoples’ poet as he is known in South Africa, was born in Sophiatown but was forced to move to Soweto when his family’s house was bulldozed by the regime.

Mbuli’s first performance was at the funeral of an anti-apartheid acitivist. He went on to perform at funerals throughout the struggle and was forced underground after his poetry was banned.

He introduced Nelson Mandela, Mzwakhe-style, with a poem when he became President of South Africa. In 1997, he was arrested after being a vocal critic of corruption in the government. He always claimed innocence against robbery charges and was finally released in 2003. Mzwakhe has a long list of albums including the aptly-named Born Free But Always in Chains.

This song, addressing the coloniser’s grab for land, is as relevant to Australia as it is to South Africa.