Our tour of World Heritage Sites continued with an incredible visit to Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. We have been anticipating the visit since it’s such an important page in the tumultuous history of the country and in particular the era of Apartheid. One of its most recent uses was as a maximum security prison for political prisoners from 1961 through 1991, includingNelson Mandela. The island’s history is filled with isolation of people from the mainland for a variety of reasons, primarily as a prison, but the island also served as a leper colony and a place for the mentally and chronically ill. In fact, we saw the home of a doctor in which he shackled epileptic patients in his basement to cure them of the evil that overcame them to cause the seizures.
Robben Island holds an important place in history and it was a sobering visit. Our tour guide is a former prisoner named Jama who was held at the island for 5 years on the charge of terrorism because he led student protests against the government and Apartheid politics. Prior to Jama’s incarceration, the prisoners were required to conduct hard labor and would work all day in a lime quarry where they broke stones. The harsh sun caused great damage to all, including the wardens who were not permitted to wear sunglasses as they were not part of the regulation uniform. Being politically active and socially-minded prisoners (among criminals as well, but they learned to keep them separate as the leaders were quite influential), they were able to help many wardens realize they too were prisoners of a broken political system and they were also suffering.
The government did not seem to fully consider what it would mean to have all their political opponents, highly educated men together for all this time; while there were rules against socializing while working the men always found ways and they were able to build a strong coalition that, once released, was able to hold their own against the government in negotiations and led to the breakdown of Apartheid and movement toward a more just society in South Africa. In keeping with the segregationist policies of the time, it is important to note that white political prisoners were held in a separate prison on the mainland and women also had their own prison. There are certainly many remnants of the era visible with the townships and remaining feelings of separation, but as a society progress is being made.
this is Nelson Mandela's cell; shows prisoner's items. prisoners got beds in later years in the 1970s but started with just these blankets on the floor
in cell block A, all the cells have a photo of the prisoner and an anecdote by him; many also have an item of significance to him and his time on Robben Island
Throughout our tour we could still feel how fresh the prison is, it’s only been since 1996 that prisoners have no longer been held there (after the release of the political prisoners it was still used for criminals). The timeline shows the history of the island as a place of isolation and segregation by those fearful of others who threaten their power or sense of security. We feel fortunate to have visited such an important historical landmark and to have met such an incredible and resilient leader who fought for his beliefs and endured the injustice of such a system yet seeks to find the positive from disadvantage.
prisoner identification card
the prisoners' diet, even this was different based on racial designation until prisoners held a hunger strike in 1978 and they began to feed them all the same menu
when the prisoners held a reunion, each took a limestone and made this pile to symbolize their experience and turning their disadvantage to an advantage
view of Cape Town waterfront and Table Mountain from the ferry
Vrede en Liefde!
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