The security services took Steve Biko to the Walmer police station in Port Elizabeth, where he was held naked in a cell with his legs in shackles.

On the 6th of September, he was transferred from Walmer to room 619 of the security police headquarters in central Port Elizabeth.

There he was interrogated for 22 hours, handcuffed and in shackles, and chained to a grille.

During the interrogation he was severely beaten by at least one of the ten security police officers. Following this incident, Steve Biko‘s captors forced him to remain standing and shackled to the wall.

Steve Biko was examined by a doctor, who stated that there was no evidence of injury. He was then examined by two other doctors who agreed that he should be transported to a prison hospital in Pretoria.

On the 11th of September, police loaded him into the back of a Land Rover, naked and manacled, and drove him 740 miles (1,190 km) to the hospital.

There, Steve Biko died alone in a cell on 12th of …

September ’77
Port Elizabeth weather fine
It was business as usual
In police room 619
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja
The man is dead

When I try to sleep at night
I can only dream in red
The outside world is black and white
With only one colour dead
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja
The man is dead

You can blow out a candle
But you can’t blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja
The man is dead

And the eyes of the world are
watching now
watching now