Robben Island at last

Waiting outside the cell block

Buses pick us up on arrival at Robben Island 

In the cell area listening to our guide. The windows had no glass and prisoners slept on the cold concrete even in winter. Many never survived.

This cell housed 60 prisoners. They slept on the concrete floor, even in winter. there was no glass in the windows.

This chart has all the info on a prisoner 

Letters to political
prisoners were censored like this.

What happened to the Namibians was raw genocide according to our guide. They were kept separated from

The South African political prisoners.

After his release, Mandela met with other political prisoners by the stone quarry where they had worked tirelessly and left this stone mound as a memorial.

One block were some prisoners were kept in solitary confinement.

 We made it! 

The Robben Island tour is by far the most popular in Cape Town, partly because of the weather I guess but most likely because of the late great Nelson Mandela. 

The ferry at Robben Island.

The more I learn about Mandela, the more I conclude that he was an angel, not a human. 

Mandela started this little garden here and was punished!

For how could an ordinary man abide 27 years of humiliation, torture, misery, physical abuse and say forgive?

This was Mandela’s cell during solitary confinement . If he didn’t fold back his blanket exactly as instructed,  he was punished. 

Prisoners could only get mail once per year and sections were taken out like the above! SMH

Some Namibian prisoners got bunks

Some people who spent less time than Mandela on Robben Island have never recovered and are on the streets totally crazy.

Up to 18 months ago they found and dug up unmarked graves on the island.

The youngest prisoner taken there was 11 years old. He was given a life sentence for throwing a stone at police. He died within 7 years from malnutrition and sickness.

This is one of the two churches on Robben island. Why is it where you find absolute wickedness, religion usually plays such a prominent role?

The buildings and roads on the island were built by prisoners who were given primitive tools and even after their hands were blistered they couldn’t stop working.

But as usual I am ahead of myself!

Our scheduled trip was postponed yesterday as the sea was too rough so we called on everyone to pray as we depart tomorrow. Clearly my friends’ prayers worked as today the sea was amazingly calm.

Give thanks. 

The tour operator who took us was amazing. She is a descendant of the Asian slaves brought here, and has been Re-classified three times. 

With our wonderful tour guide Faziela.

She was first classified as Asian, then as colored, then as  as Cape colored as she was born in Cape Town. We sure learned a lot about the Asian slave experience in the short time we spent with her.

Why I said she was amazing is because two weeks ago, she lost her son, had a major health emergency with her daughter, but she was so friendly and professional you couldn’t guess .

Why I am in such awe of her is because I don’t think I could even talk for about six weeks when I lost my son.

But here I go straying again.

Faziela picked us up and took us to the ferry.

On the ferry 

Once we arrived on Robben island we boarded buses which took us to the cells where the ex prisoner shared his experience.

Our guide was Luvino Mlilwana a former political prisoner himself and as he described the conditions, the torture, the genocide, the beatings and attacks by German shepherds which the guards had, try as he did he could not conceal te raw emotion.

He was extremely articulate as were the young ladies who gave us an overview of the trip. They were extremely well trained and professional.

After hearing about the horrendous treatment of political prisioners under apartheid, a film was shown on the return trip showing white families who were correctional officers or relatives of, saying how wonderful life had been on Robben island!

When Mandela was jailed he lost his name and became 46664.

. 

With former political prisoner Luvino Mlilwana who told us how they survived.


The wharf in Cape Town where we left from





Cape Town is 10 Kim’s from Robben Island