Robben Island was a prison for almost four hundred years, located just a few miles outside of Cape Town, South Africa. Rulers were exiled here during the time of Apartheid, those troublemakers and outcasts such as Nelson Mandela, and the current president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, the men who stood up and fought against Apartheid and racism. The prison has been a museum since 1997, and has now become the seemingly unlikely location, for the celebration and conservation of the heritage and history of the country. Tours are given daily, with transportation from the mainland provided first by Cape Town car rentals, and then a two hour ferry ride to the island. Robben Island has been a World Heritage Site since 1999. The island is home to many indigenous birds that now are protected in the nature reserves and sanctuaries, as well as the rabbits, bucks and other wildlife native to the island.
Originally, this prison was meant to isolate freedom fighters and destroy their morale. However, true to the spirit of South Africa, Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years on the island, and when released, became the first elected president. Suffice it to say, the man’s morale was not crushed. Oppression in the prison during the 1960’s was intense, however the prisoners were able to overcome that and organized programs for education, debates about the politics of the time, and sporting games and events. The prison life just put them into a position wherein it was necessary for them to assert their rights to be treated with dignity. Perhaps they gained more strength and drive by the fact that they were incarcerated and it became imperative to their survival to demand to be treated with equality, to be treated as human beings. The history of the now democratic country, owes much to these prisoners, as the seeds of freedom and democracy were sowed in the prison of Robben Island.
