After an architectural tour of the Zeitz MOCAA Museum, we headed toward the Robben Island Museum to board the boat, Krotoa, which would take us to the island prison.

Once we arrived at Robben Island, we boarded a bus for a tour of various locations on the island. Our first stop was the Leper Grave, pictured below. Before 1931, the island was used as a leprosy hospital, where individuals with leprosy were forced to live in isolation to prevent spreading the disease.

In 1948, apartheid was implemented in South Africa with the pass laws, a system that restricted the movement of non-white citizens. Robben Island became a prison for those who were considered threats to the apartheid government. During apartheid, there were no white or female political prisoners, and no one ever escaped the island. Today, about 200 people live on the island, primarily workers. There are no prisoners on the island today.

Next, we visited the limestone quarry, where prisoners initially mined limestone to produce sand for road construction. Over time, the quarry became a place of punishment, where prisoners were forced to work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

We then visited the Good Shepherd Church on Church Street, one of the oldest buildings on the island, built by people with leprosy. This church is only used on Valentine’s Day (February 14th), when couples go there to marry or renew their vows.

Our next stop was a watch house near the shore, where we took a bathroom break and had the chance to take pictures. During this break, we spotted a few penguins nearby.

Afterward, we arrived at the prison on the island. It was fascinating to hear a first-hand account of life in the prison from our guide, who had been incarcerated there in the 1980s. It was very heart warming yet saddening to hear the tour guide say that he works at Robben Island to educate others on what happened to prevent this from happening again.

We learned that in the 1960s, prisoners had no beds—only mats—and their cells had no windows. It wasn’t until 1978 that prisoners were provided with beds. Although prisoners could have visitors, it was a complicated process that depended on their rank and privileges. Visitors had to apply at least six months in advance. Our tour guide also shared that, despite their political differences, the prisoners had a strong sense of solidarity and helped each other.

While touring the prison, we visited Nelson Mandela’s cell. He spent 18 years in prison, leaving in 1980 due to health problems, and was moved to house arrest. Our tour guide told us that when Mandela became president in 1994, one of the first proposals was to turn Robben Island into a tourist attraction. However, because the island symbolizes suffering and hardship, it was ultimately transformed into a museum.

Blog by Giselle Anguiano