WATCH the Hugh Masekela Song Quoted by President Cyril Ramaphosa at SONA

Here is the Hugh Masekela song that President Cyril Ramaphosa movingly quoted at the end of his State of the Nation Address in Cape Town last night, Friday 16 February 2018.

Sadly the iconic South African musician who gave us ‘Send me’ passed away on 23 January 2018, from prostate cancer, less than a month before Ramaphosa claimed that new dawn had come.

“We are at a moment in the history of our nation when the people, through their determination, have started to turn the country around. We can envisage the triumph over poverty, we can see the end of the battle against Aids,” said President Ramaphosa.

“Now is the time to lend a hand. Now is the time for each of us to say ‘send me’. Now is the time for all of us to work together, in honour of Nelson Mandela, to build a new, better South Africa for all,” President Ramaphosa said.

Watch Hugh Masekela – Thuma Mina / Send me (the song President Ramaphosa quoted)

Thuma Mina / Send Me – Hugh Masekela – lyrics

I wanna be there when the people start to turn it around
When they triumph over poverty
I wanna be there when the people win the battle against AIDS
I wanna lend a hand
I wanna be there for the alcoholic
I wanna be there for the drug addict
I wanna be there for the victims of violence and abuse
I wanna lend a hand
Send me

[Chorus]
Thuma mina (thuma m’na)
Thuma mina (ezizweni)
Ndizoya ndithandaze

I wanna be there when the people win the battle against AIDS
I wanna lend a hand
I wanna be there for the victims of violence and abuse
I wanna lend a hand
Send me

[Chorus]
Thuma mina (thuma m’na)
Thuma mina (ezizweni)
Ndizoya ndithandaze

Esitimeleni (thuma m’na)
Emabusini (ezizweni)
Emataxini (ndizoya ndithandaze)
Emapartini (thuma m’na)
Emabashini (ezizweni)
Emashabeeni (ndizoya ndithandaze)

[Repeat x2]
Ebusuku (thuma m’na)
Nasemini (ezizweni)
Asilali (ndizoya ndithandaze)

Emataxini (thuma m’na)
Emabusini (ezizweni)
Esitimeleni (ndizoya ndithandaze)
Emabusini (thuma m’na)
Emataxini (ezizweni)
Nesitimeleni (ndizoya ndithandaze)
Emashabeeni (thuma m’na)
Emapartini (ezizweni)
Emabashini (ndizoya ndithandaze)
Emapartini (thuma m’na)
Emashabeeni (ezizweni)
Esitimeleni (ndizoya ndithandaze)

[Chorus]
Thuma mina (thuma m’na)
Thuma mina (ezizweni)
Ndizoya ndithandaze

Lyrics source: Bimba.co.za