SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Town: Day 3 (Robben Island)

The visit to Robben Island, permit me to say....was THE highlight of the trip. Three men who were 'institutionalised' on Robben Island came out and became the President of South Africa! A funny  fact but at great cost. The late Nelson Mandela was an inmate there for 18 years out of his 27 years in prison. 

Swing Bridge (right), Red Clock tower and
The Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island (left) 

For the online ticket, you can get them at http://www.robben-island.org.za . There are 4 trips per day (weather permitting) and online tickets usually sold quite fast. The trip to the island is about half hour to an hour, a three hour tour and another half hour to an hour return leg. All in all, we're looking at 4-5 hours total time. 

We took the last trip at 3pm and by 2.30pm, the waiting hall at the jetty was packed! 3 boats per trip to ferry visitors to and fro the island and each are good size vessel. Still, due to unfavourable weather conditions...they would cancel the trip. So they will ask you a contactable phone number when buying ticket. Just in case.

queueing for the boat trip

at the jetty

We arrived at the Murray Harbor on the island and broke into two groups. First group would tour the island first, on a bus and do the prison tour next and second group would do the reverse. A short walk from the jetty, passed the main gate and into one of the communal cell (F section), where common criminals were kept was where the prison tour started. Political prisoner were in separate cells in the maximum security section (B section).

Maximum Security Prison complex

Our tour guide himself was a 'guest' at the prison (sabotage and intimidation) and recount about the prison's history, the political prisoners and which party they belonged to. He also talked at length about the Pass book law (Dumb Pass) which meant movement were restricted and the limited job choices for employment for the non-whites. 

Our guide, a Mr Susuzi Mkobo*
(sounds like it in my video recording) 

Prisoners were categorised from A-D and D is the worst. Category D prisoners were only allowed a 30 minute visit, receive and write one letter every 6months. Letters received were confiscated and censored by the warden if deemed political. Most of the political prisoners were in this category.

With regards to the visitor, which was only ONE visit every six months, only 18 years old and above were allowed to visit. Cat. D prisoners also have to do hard labour in the limestone quarry not far from the prison.

a censored letter

dietary value between Coloured (mixed race), asians and Bantu' (African blacks)

The menu of the coloured and Asian were better than Africans (Bantus) according to the guide. Even the late Mandela recalled that he was given shorts to wear while Asian inmates were given long pants. Inequality was everywhere, even in the prison.

The card below, belonged to a Billy Nair. A saboteur that was put behind bars for 20years from 1964 to 1984. He was inmate number 69 in the year of 1964, hence 6964. 

I bet some of us have seen this string of numbers, 46664 associated with the late Nelson Mandela. In fact, that was his prison ID number. He was prisoner number 466 and was sentenced to Robben Island in 1964.... thus, the famous 46664. 

Sentenced Prisoner card

We went to the B-Section prison where political prisoners were located. Due to influence they have to the blacks and coloured  communities, they were deemed dangerous and were locked up separately....but did the hard labour together. Hmmmmm

a typical cell

Mandela's cell

The 8ft x 7ft cell that we witnessed that day was equipped with a small stool and and mat for them to sleep on. A bucket to relieve themselves were also provided to the inmates, which they would empty it the next morning at the toilet.

There was a barred window with glass on one wall, and another small one on the wall beside the door. An extra bedding mat or blanket in one of the cell we saw was THE cell that 'housed' Mandela for 18years. 

The Prison Tour ended at a communal area where they used to held function, classes and adjoining toilet for the inmates. The guide thanked us for the visit and invited us to come again and spread the word about the place to our friends and family. We exited the prison and onto the awaiting bus for the next tour around the island.

the end of the prison tour

watchtower by the prison

Robben Island in Dutch means Seal Island. They came during the 16th century and used the island to resupply their vessel with food for the long voyage to India and SE Asia. Food as in edible animals...seals, penguins and later rabbits were also released on the island for the similar purpose.

During the 17th century, it began its chapter as the isolation place for political prisoners for Dutch colonies. A prince from Madura, Indonesia, whom was also Cape Town's first imam was exiled and died there. His grave is considered a kramat or shrine. The British came and made the island a leper colony and during WW2, fortified the island and placed a few huge guns emplacement to defend Cape Town.

The Leper graveyard

Not far from the graveyard was Robert Sobukwe's house, leader of the Pan Africanist Congress. Considered as one of the most dangerous man alive by the apartheid government. He was so dangerous that the goverment had a special clause made for him, it was known as Sobukwe clause. The clause gave the authority to the Minister of Justice to renew Robert Sobukwe's imprisonment or confinement annually. 

Despite his confinement, he had access to books, newspapers and even visit from his family. He was allowed movement within the compound but was barred from talking to the warden and fellow political prisoners from the nearby maximum security  prison. 

The long structure beside the house are dog kennels which were built for the guard dogs patrolling the maximum security prison's double fenced compound. 

dog kennel 

We went to the limestone quarry which the political prisoners did hard labour. All done by manual labour..from broken the quarry walls to crushing it to pieces. The stones were used to resurface roads around the island. 

the limestone quarry

Everyday they would walk from the prison all the way to the quarry, passed Robert Sobukwe's house. Mandela did mentioned in an interview that he took delight walking with fellow inmates to the quarry because of the nature, beautiful sights he saw around him and from far, Cape Town's Table mountain, Signal Hill and Lion's Head mountain looked majestic from the island. So close, yet so far.

But the quarry posed health issues. With its white blanched wall lit by the bright sunlight during the day, had damaged Mandela's eyesight and the dust caused lung damage. A small cave at the quarry serves as a store, shelter from rain and a place to relieve themselves while at the quarry. 

note the small cave on the left...doubled as toolshed and toilet

In 1995, the former inmates did a reunion and they visited the quarry. The quarry was a symbol of hard labour and the intent to break their spirit opposing the government. But the prisoners had each other and supported one another. They endured together as a team and were resolute to free their people from the regime. 

At the event, Mandela took a stone and placed on the ground as he left. The rest followed and the mound of stones became a memorial, a cairn of past struggle.

the heap of stones where the ex-inmate 
had piled together

The bus brought us around the island. Passed the old churches, school and onto the coastal road where we enjoyed the view of Cape Town and penguins. 

Cape Town from Robben Island...from this angle,
you would be able to see the Cape's Lion. Can you see it? 
It isn't an animal, though.

Penguins!!! African penguins

We took a junction where we came upon the 9in gun which was part of defence of Cape Town during WW2. It had been test fired a few times but never in anger. The guide told us it had the range of about 26km. There are 2 of them and the other one was somewhere deeper in the bushes out of view except a trail leading towards it.

The Robben Island battery

Not far from the gun battery, on our right was the lighthouse built on Minto Hill in 1864 and still in working order till today. Robin Island had witnessed many wrecks around it since the Dutch came to the island in the 16th century. There were more than 20 wrecks, just in the modern 20th century alone. The current according to the guide were quite trivial to navigate.

Lighthouse on Minto Hill

We headed back to the harbor where the boat was waiting for us. We took the same boat that we arrived with, the Sea Princess. The crew briefed us on the safety procedure before we began the journey. 

The sea was choppy and the captain put the boat through its paces the moment we left the safety of the harbor. That was the last glimpse of Robben Island for us. The sea ahead looked challenging and it was by far the bumpiest boat ride I've had in may life. 

All in all, it was a good tour. An eye opener to say the least. 18 years in Robben Island prison in a very small cell and doing hard labour during the day year after year, one season after the other ... Mandela had said, "I came out mature."

walking towards the jetty

Us onboard the vessel, at V&A Waterfront