Satellite
Show on map
  • Day 5

    Robbyn Island and the Waterfront

    January 4, 2016 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
    Monday, January 4, 2016

    Today we have taken a break from Newlands and visited Robbyn Island the site of Nelson Mandela's incarceration for 27 years. The ferry leaves from the Waterfront, which was once the Victorian docks for the city of Cape Town. In common with many such sites around the world, the area has been renovated and rejuvenated into a modern conglomeration of flats, offices, shops and restaurants. Situated on the harbour, it is an attractive addition and draws many visitors.
    Luckily for us it was another sweltering day and the wind minimal, so the crossing was calm. It takes about 40 minutes. There were seals, penguins, sea birds and best of all, whales feeding in the harbour. Don't ask me to name the type, as one blow hole and tail flip looks very much like another, but it was an unexpected thrill to see them. As you approach the island it looks bleak and windswept, which is not far from the truth, although there are more buildings and trees than you might expect. Originally the only vegetation was fynbos, the low scrubby plants indigenous to South Africa, until the British introduced trees from Australia in the 1890s. It was not a good move , as the eucalyptus was one and they have proliferated. Each tree drinks 300litres of fresh water a day, with the result that there is no longer any fresh water to be found on the Island and it all has to be brought from the mainland. Robbyn Island is small, just 5 miles by 3 and has been used for holding political prisoners of one type and another since the days of the Dutch in 1662. It has also housed a leprosy and smallpox isolation camp over the years and there is a very poignant cemetery.
    The tour is well managed, and in two stages. Firstly, you are driven around the island by bus with a guide pointing out the main features and delving into it's history and geography. We were lucky enough to be allocated two superb guides, Yaseem for the bus commentary and Suzu for the prison itself. I should point out that all the guides have at some time been prisoners here themselves and so their narrative is very personal and from the heart. The prison block is as you would imagine on the outside, plain and unadorned, but it doesn't prepare you for the sheer bleakness of the interior. Grey concrete as far as the eye can see, with bars instead of windows. There was no glass, therefore it could be stiflingly hot or extremely cold, particularly at night. There was no heating, only cold water to wash in, a slopping out system that had to be seen to be believed and no books, letters or visits. The leading political prisoners were held in tiny single cells, with no creature comforts. There is just a stool, a metal dish and cup, the slopp bucket and a hessian rug to sleep on - no blankets. The days were spent in the lime quarry, which we saw and was blinding in the sun. No dark glasses were allowed and men often suffered with the equivalent of snow blindness. At the end of the day they would have to attempt to wash off the lime sticking to their skin with cold water, whatever the time of year. Nelson Mandela worked in that quarry for 13 years. Both guides stressed that he was an exceptional human being, a natural leader of men and started to compile 'The Long Walk to Freedom' in the exercise courtyard in the corner known as Nelson Mandela's garden. This was in the 70s when international pressure had ensured that conditions were improved, educational materials allowed, letters and visits. Hot showers were also then installed and flush toilets.
    It is hard to believe that men were tortured and treated so harshly in our lifetime for their political beliefs. It was an absolutely inspirational visit. Nelson Mandela's mantra on his eventual release in 1991 was that the peoples of South Africa must sit around a table and discuss the way forward for all its citizens. There must be hope, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation and our guides put over that sentiment with conviction.
    I would not say this is a visit of joy, but it is of necessity and we felt privileged and grateful to have experienced it through the eyes of men who had first hand knowledge of the regime. The thought of Robbyn Island will forever put shivers up my spine.
    Read more