Mzwakhe Mbuli

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Mzwakhe Mbuli, known as the People's Poet, is a popular poet and mbaqanga singer in South Africa. He was born in Sophiatown in 1958.

His works include a book of poems, Before Dawn (1989), and albums Change is Pain (1986), Unbroken Spirit (1989), Resistance and Defence (1992), and Africa (1993).

His poems are mainly in English but draw on his native Zulu as well as traditional praise poetry and rap. His best-known poem is Change is Pain, a protest piece about oppression and revolution.

An imposing figure, standing well over 6 foot tall, he performed at the funeral of Chris Hani, the assassinated head of the South African Communist Party, and at the presidential inauguration Nelson Mandela in 1994.

More recently, he spent several years in prison following a conviction for bank robbery. He and his supporters have always insisted he was framed by the government for speaking out against corruption.