{"id":2393,"date":"2026-01-30T15:56:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T13:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?p=176411"},"modified":"2026-01-30T15:56:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T13:56:31","slug":"south-african-struggle-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myza.co.za\/events\/south-african-struggle-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"South African Struggle Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Table of Contents<\/p>\n

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In the days of apartheid it used to tickle me no end to see patrons and listeners earnestly bopping to these songs whilst not knowing at all the provenance or message behind them.<\/p>\n

Imagine a short pant white, with a right wing demeanor \u2018goiing\u2019 to these songs in the disco, at the festival or wedding and you realise just how dumb banning these songs was.<\/p>\n

We missed a real opportunity to nation build with the apartheid censorship madness of the time!<\/p>\n

<\/span>Banned South African Songs:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Weeping \u2013 Bright Blue (1987):<\/strong> Often called the greatest South African song of the century. Written by Dan Heymann while he was a conscripted soldier, the lyrics use a metaphor about a man living behind a wall to describe President P.W. Botha\u2019s isolation and fear. It famously sneaks in the melody of the then-banned Nkosi Sikelel\u2019 iAfrika during the bridge.<\/p>\n

Asimbonanga \u2013 Johnny Clegg & Savuka (1987):<\/strong> The title means We have not seen him, referring to the imprisoned Nelson Mandela. It was one of the first popular songs to openly name Mandela and other fallen heroes like Steve Biko and Neil Aggett.<\/p>\n

Africa \u2013 Juluka (1982):<\/strong> A hit for Johnny Clegg\u2019s first band, it was banned on some state radio stations for mixing English and Zulu, which violated the apartheid government\u2019s purity policies.<\/p>\n

Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela) \u2013 Hugh Masekela (1987):<\/strong> Recorded while Masekela was in exile, this became the definitive global anthem for the Free Mandela campaign. *<\/strong><\/p>\n

Black President \u2013 Brenda Fassie (1989):<\/strong> A powerful pop-protest track that mourned Mandela\u2019s 1963 arrest and prophetically celebrated his future presidency.<\/p>\n

Whispers in the Deep (Phinda Mzala) \u2013 Stimela (1986):<\/strong> Ray Phiri\u2019s band used the metaphor of whispers to urge people to stop talking in secret and take action against oppression.<\/p>\n

Hillbrow \u2013 Johannes Kerkorrel (1989):<\/strong> Part of the Afrikaner Vo\u00eblvry movement, this rock track used Afrikaans to protest the conservative status quo and the military draft.<\/p>\n

Free Nelson Mandela \u2013 The Special AKA (1984):<\/strong> A high-energy UK hit that brought the anti-apartheid struggle to dancefloors across Europe.<\/p>\n

Gimme Hope Jo\u2019anna \u2013 Eddy Grant (1988):<\/strong> A reggae track where Jo\u2019anna personifies Johannesburg and the apartheid government. It was banned by the SABC but loved by the public.<\/p>\n

Sun City \u2013 Artists United Against Apartheid (1985):<\/strong> Organized by Steven Van Zandt, this star-studded track (featuring Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, and others) declared a boycott of the Sun City resort.<\/p>\n

Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) \u2013 Pink Floyd (1979\/1980):<\/strong> While international, it was famously banned in South Africa after Black students adopted the chorus We don\u2019t need no education as an anthem against inferior Bantu Education.<\/p>\n

BMW \u2013 Johannes Kerkorrel & Die Gereformeerde Blues Band (1989):<\/strong> This track was labeled \u201crepulsive\u201d by censors for its indictment of white middle-class complacency and references to the ANC.<\/p>\n

Missing \u2013 Savuka (Johnny Clegg) (1987):<\/strong> Explicitly about government repression and people disappearing in police custody, the SABC viewed it as a direct threat to state security.<\/p>\n

Rastas Never Die \u2013 Lucky Dube (1984):<\/strong> Dube\u2019s first reggae album was banned in 1985 because the regime felt his lyrics were too politically charged.<\/p>\n

Just Another Ruler \u2013 Roger Lucey (1979):<\/strong> Lucey was a major target of the Security Branch; none of his music was allowed on the SABC due to lines referencing the June 1976 Soweto Uprising.<\/p>\n

Africa \u2013 Juluka (1982):<\/strong> Despite being a major hit on independent Capital Radio, the SABC refused to play it because it mixed English and Zulu, violating their language purity policy designed to keep ethnic groups separate.<\/p>\n

Sankomota (Self-titled debut) (1984):<\/strong> This band from Lesotho had their first release deemed \u201cundesirable\u201d specifically for mixing multiple languages on one track.<\/p>\n

Energie \u2013 Johannes Kerkorrel (1989):<\/strong> Banned for including the word kak and for allegedly inciting Afrikaner youth toward violence.<\/p>\n

Atlantis \u2013 Laurika Rauch (1980s):<\/strong> Written by Anton Goosen, this song about the forced removals of Coloured people from District Six was kept off the air.<\/p>\n

Sugar Man \u2013 Rodriguez (1970):<\/strong> While Rodriguez was a superstar in SA, this specific song from his Cold Fact album was officially banned for promoting drug use.<\/p>\n

Spanish Train \u2013 Chris de Burgh (1976):<\/strong> This international hit was banned for blasphemy because it depicted a card game between God and the Devil.<\/p>\n

Hou My Vas Korporaal \u2013 Bernoldus Niemand (1983):<\/strong> A satirical track that mocked the compulsory military draft. It became an unofficial anthem for the End Conscription Campaign (ECC) and was promptly banned for its anti-military tone.<\/p>\n

Meadowlands \u2013 Strike Vilakazi (1956):<\/strong> While it sounded like a cheerful jive, it actually mourned the forced removals from Sophiatown. It became a massive hit for Miriam Makeba and other artists before being targeted by authorities.<\/p>\n

Schoolboy \u2013 Asylum Kids (1981):<\/strong> This punk\/new wave track was banned for being too rebellious, with lyrics like Rules and regulations only suffocate viewed as a threat to school discipline.<\/p>\n

Nants\u2019 indod\u2019 emnyama (Watch out Verwoerd) \u2013 Various artists:<\/strong> A direct taunt to the architects of apartheid. It was frequently sung at rallies and eventually banned from all state-controlled media.<\/p>\n

Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) \u2013 Pink Floyd (1979):<\/strong> Though international, it was banned in South Africa in 1980 after Black students adopted its We don\u2019t need no education chorus as a protest against inferior schooling.<\/p>\n

Africa \u2013 Juluka (1982):<\/strong> Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu\u2019s breakthrough hit was rejected for airplay on white stations because it mixed English and Zulu, which violated the SABC\u2019s strict policies on tribal purity.<\/p>\n

BMW \u2013 Johannes Kerkorrel (1989):<\/strong> From the Eet Kreef album, this song was banned for mentioning the ANC and referencing drugs, while censors found its critique of middle-class complacency repulsive.<\/p>\n

Sit di af \u2013 Johannes Kerkorrel (1989):<\/strong> A satirical track targeting then-President P.W. Botha; censors took offense at the disparaging way it referred to the head of state.<\/p>\n

Ishmael \u2013 Abdullah Ibrahim (1970s):<\/strong> Banned for blasphemy after a religious council objected to the use of Quranic verses in a musical setting.<\/p>\n

Biko \u2013 Peter Gabriel (1980):<\/strong> Written about the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko in police custody, this song was strictly prohibited on South African radio.<\/p>\n

Gimme Hope Jo\u2019anna \u2013 Eddy Grant (1988):<\/strong> Despite its upbeat reggae rhythm, the lyrics personified Johannesburg as Jo\u2019anna to criticize the oppressive government, leading to an immediate SABC ban.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Hugh Masekela:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

*<\/strong> Recalling how he came about writing this song Masekela wrote:<\/p>\n

Around the end of March, I received a call from Bra Mathizo, an ANC veteran exiled in \u201cGabs,\u201d as Gaborone is fondly called.<\/p>\n

\u201cHugh, I have a letter for you from home. Can I come and drop it off?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bra Mathizo arrived shortly. He sat down for tea and waited for me to open and read the short letter that had been smuggled out of Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town. The sender had a very beautiful handwriting.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDear Hugh,<\/em><\/p>\n

I wrote this letter to wish you an exceptionally happy 46th birthday and proudly congratulate you on the music school you have started. Also the new recording studios where you have produced such popular music that brings joy to so many. May you have continued good fortune in your admirable endeavours. Kindly extend my loving regards to your wife Jabu and your beautiful little Deliwe. Keep up the good work.<\/em><\/p>\n

Affectionately,<\/em><\/p>\n

Nelson Mandela\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

My birthday was coming up on the fourth of April. I was totally overwhelmed by this letter from a man who had been in prison for 21 years wishing me, a free person, prosperity. I sat there dumbfounded for quite a while before thanking Bra Mathizo, who made a quick exit on realizing the surging emotion swelling inside my restless soul.<\/p>\n

With tears in my eyes, I rushed to the piano across our tiny sitting-room lounge and began to sing in a very loud outburst<\/p>\n

\u201cBring back Nelson Mandela! Bring him back home to Soweto! I want to see him walking down the streets of South Africa. I want to see him walking hand-in-hand with Winnie Mandela.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jabu came in running from the backyard with a big smile on her face. \u201cHughie, when did you write that song? I\u2019ve never heard it before\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t write it, Nelson Mandela just sent it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span>Peter Gabriel:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Peter Gabriel has described \u201cBiko\u201d as his first overtly political song, a work that \u201chelped shape\u201d him as much as he shaped it. Writing it was a pivotal moment that led to his lifelong involvement in human rights activism.<\/p>\n

Gabriel famously described himself during the writing process as a \u201cwhite, middle-class, ex-public schoolboy\u201d observing the horrors of apartheid from a distance. He felt more like a \u201creporter\u201d than an insider, shock-driven by the brutality of Biko\u2019s death despite the international attention on his imprisonment.<\/p>\n

Gabriel was deeply impressed by Biko\u2019s \u201cintelligence, rationality, and lack of hatred\u201d. He noted that Biko\u2019s writings were grounded and avoided the polarized extremes of politics, leading Gabriel to believe Biko would have become a major global statesman had he lived.<\/p>\n

Gabriel stated that while music cannot directly bring about political change, it has a role in \u201cinforming and influencing people\u201d so they can then play a part in making change happen. He noted that \u201cBiko\u201d outgrew his expectations to become a global human rights anthem.<\/p>\n

In recent years, Gabriel has commented that the song\u2019s message remains sadly necessary as racism and nationalism are again on the rise globally. He noted that while the white minority government in South Africa is gone, the \u201cracism around the world that apartheid represented\u201d has not disappeared.<\/p>\n

Performing the song in post-apartheid South Africa was deeply emotional for Gabriel. He recalled getting \u201cshivers down my spine\u201d while performing it in front of leaders like Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the Biko family.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Hou My Vas, Korporaal<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The story of \u201cHou My Vas, Korporaal\u201d is essentially the origin story of the \u201cAlternative Afrikaans\u201d movement. It\u2019s a fascinating bit of South African history because the song was written by an English-speaking \u201csoutie\u201d who ended up revolutionizing Afrikaans rock.<\/p>\n

The song was released in 1983 by James Phillips, a musician from Springs. To release this specific track, Phillips adopted the pseudonym Bernoldus Niemand (roughly translated as \u201cBernoldus Nobody\u201d).<\/p>\n

The name was a clever double-play:<\/p>\n

It protected his identity from the authorities.<\/p>\n

It poked fun at the \u201cnobody\u201d status of a conscripted soldier in the SADF.<\/p>\n

At the height of the Border War, military service was compulsory for young white men. Most patriotic songs of the time were stiff, march-like, and heroic. Phillips did something completely different:<\/p>\n

He wrote from the viewpoint of a vulnerable, confused young conscript (a troepie).<\/p>\n

The title, \u201cHold me tight, Corporal,\u201d is deeply ironic. Instead of portraying the Corporal as a heroic leader, the song treats him as a bizarre, terrifying parental figure. The narrator isn\u2019t a brave soldier; he\u2019s an infantilized young man \u201cplaying war\u201d while his \u201cbest days\u201d go by.<\/p>\n

The track starts with a heavily accented voice asking, \u201cExcuse me, are you recording?\u201d and features a loose, almost \u201cbusker-style\u201d sound that felt authentic and rebellious compared to the polished propaganda of the state broadcaster (SABC).<\/p>\n

The song was promptly banned by the SABC, but it leaked into the consciousness of the youth. It became the unofficial anthem of the End Conscription Campaign (ECC).<\/p>\n

More importantly, it laid the foundation for the Vo\u00eblvry Movement. Musicians like Johannes Kerkorrel and Koos Kombuis heard \u201cHou My Vas, Korporaal\u201d and realized they could use Afrikaans to criticize the government and the \u201cestablishment\u201d using the energy of rock and roll.<\/p>\n

James Phillips (as Bernoldus Niemand) managed to capture a very specific South African \u201cangst.\u201d He showed that protest didn\u2019t always have to be a shout; sometimes, a wry, satirical \u201chug\u201d for a corporal was the most subversive act of all.<\/p>\n

Sadly, Phillips passed away in 1995 following a car accident, but \u201cHou My Vas, Korporaal\u201d remains one of the most important records in the history of South African protest music.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Sit di af \u2013 Johannes Kerkorrel<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cSit dit af\u201d (Turn it off) is one of the most famous acts of musical rebellion in Afrikaans history. It wasn\u2019t just a song; it was a direct, satirical attack on the face of the apartheid state.<\/p>\n

Released in 1989 on the groundbreaking album Eet Kreef!, the song was a critique of the propaganda broadcast by the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation). At the time, the SABC was the primary mouthpiece for the National Party, often featuring long, stern televised addresses by then-State President P.W. Botha (known as Die Groot Krokodil).<\/p>\n

The lyrics urged South Africans to simply \u201cturn off the TV\u201d to escape the state\u2019s \u201challucination\u201d and manipulation. It mocked the repetitive, fear-mongering nature of the news broadcasts.<\/p>\n

The song is legendary for its performance during the Vo\u00eblvry Tour, a cross-country rock \u2018n roll movement of \u201crebel\u201d Afrikaners.<\/p>\n

During live shows, Kerkorrel would often perform the song with a rubber mask of P.W. Botha or mimic his finger-wagging mannerisms.<\/p>\n

The SABC officially banned the song. Censors claimed it referred to the State President in a \u201cdisparaging way\u201d and was \u201charmful to the relations between sections of the population.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, the ban made the song even more popular among university students and young Afrikaners who were disillusioned with the military draft and the conservative status quo.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Images:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Hugh Masekela and Nelson Mandela. Photo: Nano Banana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Video:<\/strong><\/p>\n