Mzwakhe Mbuli

The imprisonment of popular singer Mzwakhe Mbuli on allegedly trumped-up charges of participating in an armed bank robbery and possession of a weapon represents one of the low points of repression in South Africa. Despite evidence presented at his trial, Mbuli was sentenced to 13 years of hard labor at Leeukop Maximum Security prison in March of 1999. Known affectionately in South Africa as a "people's poet," Mbuli has been haunted for his political convictions throughout his career. His home village of Sophiatown was razed to build a white settlement. His debut album, Chan...