The security was tight when Pres Jacob Zuma arrived in Cape Town's parliamentary chambers to deliver his State of the Nation address last week.

The country was eager to listen to the important speech as the president walked on the red carpet towards his podium to address the nation. As he stood there, a commanding voice took everyone’s attention and started praising him while the parliamentary chamber shook as if it was swept by a tornado. All the cameras in the room concentrated on the poet and forgot about the state president for a while. The voice continued to roar and everyone in the chamber was impressed, like millions of television viewers across the globe.

The questions that came to millions of people’s minds were: Who is this guy and where does he come from? The guy who took the parliamentary chamber by storm is a former barefooted village boy, Burning Saul Nephawe of Makonde village, north of Thohoyandou.

A poet, performing artist and pastor of the United African Apostolic Church, Nephawe says he was humbled to be requested by Parliament to act as praise singer for the president. “I thought my fame was only confined to the Vhembe district, where I stay and usually perform. I was not even aware that people were recognising my talent outside the borders of Limpopo. I thought I was dreaming when I received the call that changed my life forever. This is the highest honour in my life and I will continue to cherish that moment until my last day on earth.”

He confirmed that he was scared to board a plane for the first time in his life.

He started his performing career at an early age. “I used to sing at church and in school. Church leaders and teachers encouraged me to take music seriously as they recognized my talent.” He sang with local reggae legend Shufflers in the late eighties, until he decided to go solo in 2000. Since then, he has released reggae, gospel and poetry albums, which have contributed to his being rated one of the top artists in Limpopo.

His famous songs include Nwali, Muthu kha pfe and O la vhuluvha.