Out of all the attractions and things to do in Cape Town, the one that I knew we had to do was take a tour of Robben Island. It is impossible to visit South Africa without hearing of apartheid and seeing its long-lasting consequences with the residents of the country. In brief, apartheid was a time of racial segregation in which laws separated the whites from everyone else. This went on from 1948 until 1991, and although apartheid has formally ended, there are still lingering effects on people 26 years later when we visited. Arguably the most famous person involved with the fight against apartheid in South Africa was Nelson Mandela, a native Xhosa who led the movement to have a free country for all people, no matter what their race. As many who fought against the policy of segregation, Mandela was arrested and sentenced to prison for his so-called crimes against the government. It was on Robben Island where he served over half of his term – 18 of the 28 total years he was imprisoned.
The prison buildings are one-story and blend with the landscape, having utilized rocks and stone found on the island.
Tours to Robben Island are popular among visitors to Cape Town and it was necessary to purchase tickets online a few days in advance. We crossed our fingers for good weather, since the only way to and from the island are by ferry boat – about a 45-minute ride, depending on conditions. Upon arrival on the island, buses await to lead you on the first part of the tour. The tour is split into two parts: a bus tour around the island to see the different buildings and sights and a walking tour of the main buildings of the prison led by a former inmate.
A ferry boat shuttles passengers to and from the island, taking anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
The bus tour drove us around the island with a guide pointing out various buildings and places of interest. Along this route, we stopped briefly to view a graveyard for people who died from leprosy, the Limestone Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, the Bluestone Quarry, guards’ homes, the Church of the Good Shepard, an old radio station used during WWII, the Garrison Church, and of course, the various prison buildings that housed inmates. In the Limestone Quarry, inmates would work at breaking off pieces of stone and carrying them to the other end of the quarry. Hardly any of the stone was actually used for anything; the quarry was meant to be hard labor for the prisoners to keep them tired and try to break their spirit. Mandela worked in the quarry for 13 years, ending up with problems to his vision due to the blinding sun on the nearly white rocks. During his time working, the prisoners would hold classroom sessions during breaks, using the time to educate themselves on history, the arts, and current events.
In the small cave within the Limestone Quarry is where Mandela, and other prisoners, would hold classroom sessions during their breaks.
Once we finished with the first part of our tour, we were let off the bus in front of the main prison. There, we were greeted by our guide, Itumeleng Makwela, a former political prisoner. All of the guides within the prison are former political prisoners, many of whom now live on the island in previous guards’ housing. Our guide joined us in one of the group cells which would hold up to 50 men at a time. A few bunk beds were added to the room later in his imprisonment for everyone to share; however all inmates were given a thin mattress and course blanket to use. In this room, he described his time in prison – the food they ate, the work they did, the education that took place. There was a grading system for prisoners: A, B, C, and D levels were accorded based on behavior. It was very difficult to achieve A-level and that designation could be taken away for any minor infraction. The A-level prisoners had the opportunity to purchase newspapers or cigarettes and were allowed to borrow books to read. While Makwela only ever reached B-level, Mandela was awarded A-level during his time in prison.
This is Itumeleng Makwela, our tour guide, standing next to a bedroll issued to each of the prisoners.
The culmination of the tour was to walk in the exercise courtyard and finally past Nelson Mandela’s cell. The courtyard was used not only for volleyball and games but for education and passing along messages. It was in this courtyard that Mandela hid the first pages of his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, although those were found and destroyed by guards. From the courtyard, we walked down a hallway with cells on either side until we reached one that looked just like all the others. In this cell, his bedroll, stool, and bowl were situated just as they were in the 70’s and 80’s when he was living there.
The back right corner is where Mandela hid pages of his autobiography, subsequently found and destroyed by the guards.
Nelson Mandela’s cell was simple and looked like all the others in the building.
About two-and-a-half hours after arriving on the island, we boarded a ferry to take us back to the mainland. As we left Robben Island behind, we reflected on the resilience of the men who were held prisoner, never giving up hope and always pushing to achieve freedom. A visit to Robben Island is important, for us and for everyone else with the opportunity to travel to Cape Town. Apartheid and the struggles of the prisoners should not be forgotten and should serve as a lesson for everyone not to repeat the mistakes of the past. While somber, the tour of the prison was an important part of our time in South Africa, allowing us to delve deeper into the history of the country and its difficulties. We concluded our tour with a newfound appreciation for the people of South Africa and the country they have helped to mold.
Robben Island has great views of Table Mountain, which must have been a tease to the prisoners on the island.