From darkness into light

As South Africa celebrates Freedom Day on April 27, we take a tour to Robben Island, a place that signifies the country's long walk to freedom from apartheid

Until I tookthe boat fromthe Victoriaand Albertwaterfront inCape Town,South Africa, I alwaysvisualised Robben Island tobe a dark, forsaken island,not much touched by sunlightor positive energy. After all, itwas where Nelson Mandela,the former president of theRainbow Nation, had spent17 years in solitaryconfinement, breaking downlimestone in a quarry whilelaying the foundation forpost-apartheid South Africa.Surely there could be nothingpleasant about this island?

Sharp contrast
A 45-minute ride later, we disembarkedon the pier of thelush green island. We piledinto buses that would take usround the island, which wasconverted into a museum in1997, and declared a WorldHeritage Site by UNESCO in1999. The bus wound its wayon the muddy roads, coughingup dust in its wake. On oneside were well-maintainedcolonial buildings surroundedby a canopy of trees; on theother was a jagged beachlined with rocks againstwhich waves broke lazily. Farfrom a place of exile, thisisland seemed like a tropicalhideaway.

The island's strikingnatural beauty was itscruel irony, explained ouraffable tour guide, YaseenMohammed. Before itbecame synonymous withpolitical prisoners protestingSouth Africa's brutalapartheid regime, RobbenIsland had served as a hospitalfor leprosy patients andthe mentally ill back in thelate 19th and early 20th centuries.It was also a trainingcentre for soldiers during theSecond World War. When theapartheid regime took over in1961, they converted RobbenIsland into a high-securityprison, exclusively for Asian,Indian and black prisoners.

Access barred
"The political prisoners werenever allowed to visit thispart of the island," saidMohammed, who was anactivist with the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), apolitical party fighting forfree South Africa, before hedecided to live and work onthe island. Thus, the prisonersnever got a glimpse of theocean, or of the African penguinsthat waddled right onto the path of our tour bus.Robben Island is home to thethird largest colony ofAfrican penguins in theworld; it also hosts a varietyof other flora and fauna.

The bus took its first haltat the Robert SobukweHouse, a neat block of cells,where the president of thePAC and an important figurein the anti-apartheid movement,spent several years insolitary confinement.Sobukwe was one of the leaderswho suffered the worstcruelties under the apartheidregime, and remained underhouse arrest for the remainderof his life after beingreleased from Robben Island.

Glimpse of history
Our next stop was the infamouslimestone quarry. Thelong hours that Mandelaspent here in the harsh middaysun, unable to shield hiseyes from the blinding glareof the limestone, caused permanentdamage to his eyesight.Yet, the quarry waswhere the idea of reconciliation,which is the foundingprinciple of post-apartheidSouth Africa, was born. "MrMandela said, 'Let's not fightthese young English guardsbecause they are also victimsof a violent society',"explained Mohammed. Intime, along with prisoners,the guards too were allowedto enroll in correspondencecourses, and many heldmultiple degrees by the timethey left Robben Island.

The apartheid regime'smost discriminatory policiesmet the firmest oppositionbehind the high walls of thehigh-security prison complexthat was our final destination.A former political prisoner,who had spent severalyears here along withMandela and the currentPresident of the country,Jacob Zuma, showed us thecells, the bathing areas andthe communal dining rooms.Food was a powerful weaponused by the regime to fosterdiscontent among prisoners,he said. Asians and Indianswere privy to luxuries suchas bread, while black SouthAfricans or 'bantus' had tomake do with maize gruel.

While most of the politicalprisoners were allowed to livetogether, Mandela spent mostof his years at Robben Islandalone in a narrow andcramped cell with a singlewindow that looked out on tothe courtyard. Thousands oftourists visit Robben Islandjust to take a look at this cell.Invariably, you can't spendmore than a few secondspeering in through the bars,before a photo-taking frenzyensues amongst the visitors.

You may not be able tospend too long lingering contemplativelyon RobbenIsland, but it's hard to grudgethe authorities that. Whatmakes a visit to the island somemorable is the honestyand lack of jingoism. Earlier,as Mohammed spoke passionatelyabout RobertSobukwe's contribution toSouth Africa, I was struck bya thought. Robben Island wasin fact a war zone, where themost momentous battle inSouth Africa was fought. Butthe stark simplicity withwhich the island has beenpreserved is a testament tothe dignity with which thatbattle was ultimately won.

Getting There
To get to Robben Island, youhave to take a ferry from theNelson Mandela Gateway atthe Victoria & AlbertWaterfront in Cape Town.Ferries operate three or fourtimes a day, depending onwind and weather conditions.A round-trip costs 200 Randfor adults (approx R 1300 )and 100 Rand (approx R 650)for children under 18. Fordetails, visit www.robbenisland.org.za.

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