Robbin Island
30 MAY 2023
A visit to Robben Island has been something I have wanted to include in a trip for many years. Having read much about the various freedom fighters who spent time in the prison there, I was keen to see it for real. Had I imagined it correctly from the descriptions and narratives?
The tour was carefully orchestrated from the minute we boarded the boat at the harbour. Some trips had been cancelled due to high winds so I felt lucky to be able to go. I was joined by Hope, a South African on her first solo trip to Cape Town.
It was interesting to learn about the use of Robben Island before it housed the prison. Once the first settlement for newly arrived Europeans, then a leprosy colony and later a mental asylum. A long history of being a place for the people who don't belong in the community on the main land.
Once off the boat, we are shepherded onto a bus which drove us across the island. We were able to see the leprosy grave yard, the church which survived the demolition of all other buildings at the end of the leprosy colony era, the primary school for the workers' children which was abandoned when numbers dropped too low, and the buildings of Robben Island village which has approximately 350 inhabitants. All this from the bus windows only, so just a fleeting snap shot of the history of the island.
We were asked to disembark at a headland where there were toilets, a shop and a photo stop. Close by was a clear view back towards the mainland about 12 km away, over rocks and choppy seas.
The secure prison was our next stop. Our guided was an ex political prisoner, who showed us the main rooms of the prison, the cell of Nelson Mandela and his own larger shared cell in another wing. We saw the exercise yard, the playing field area, the mosque and the visiting spaces. Only with the guides stories could you get any sense of the restrictions and hardship of life here as a prisoner. He was authentic, open and descriptive. I am in awe of the determination and perseverance of the human spirit when under adverse conditions. He talked about the prison university - how comrades educated each other, and the comradeship which kept them alive and optimistic. It's a credit to the country now, that these men and women are able to share their experiences freely with visitors from around the world.
I moved into an Airbnb apartment today, which will be my home until leaving Cape Town. A bit different to the accommodation seen on Robben's Island today!