Michael Lebese. Punk Musician. Norwood. Jozi.

Michael was in the punk band National Wake, way back in the late 80's here in Joburg. I was a young kid kicking around the punk clubs around town and National wake was one of my favourite bands at the time. (I still have their music on tape somewhere) I bumped into Michael on the street in Norwood. I recognised him imediately. I bought him a coffee, gave him some smokes and we talked for an hour about the dark 80's, about the police, the violence, the darkness of this country - then and now. We spoke about other punk bands of the time, bands almost nobody can remember now: Dog Detachment, Assylum Kids, James Philips and the Cherryfaced Lurchers, Via Africa...many more. Michael lives on the streets of Joburg now. But there is still fire in his soul, a ticking bomb behind his eyes. He is still all punk. God bless him.