Robben Island was a short boat ride away from the Cape Town Waterfront, but a world away in atmosphere.  Since Mandela’s release in 1991 (from a prison he’d been transferred to) the island has come to symbolize “the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression. ” (Quote from UNESCO World Heritage site) The tour was rather brief but informative, and people were generally respectful in listening to what the guides had to say.  Historically, the island was used as a training and defense station (during WWII) and as leper colony for many years.  We saw the gravesites of people from all over the world who were buried here before a cure was found.  A bus ride took us by the mines where, during apartheid, political prisoners worked 8-hour shifts pounding rock to build “roads that go nowhere.”  All the roads on the island were built with this labor.  The inmates who worked here for years and years suffered blindness and eye problems from the constant glare, as well as lung problems from the dust.  Political prisoners of the time were divided by race.  White prisoners were sent to Pretoria, while most Black and Colored (Asian, Indian and mixed race) were housed on Robben Island.  There were different uniforms for the two groups: Black prisoners were issued khaki shorts and short sleeves, without shoes or socks, and had lesser rations of food as well.  They slept on a thin mat on the concrete floor, and the winter winds and rain that swept through must have been hard to bear.   Visitors were only allowed for 1/2 hour twice a year, and no one under 18 was allowed to visit at all.

Our tour of the inside of the prison was led by a former prisoner called Sparks.  He spoke to us from the very cell block where he served his time for sabatoge and possession of unlawful weapons.  Other parts of the tour took us by the house where Robert Sobukwe was held in solitary confinement for six years under a law written specifically against him.

Some former guards still live on the island, and a number of them had formed strong and bonds with the men under their guard.  They have amazing stories to share.