In the recent past, Robben Island has undergone a great change from a place for banishment and imprisonment, to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated 12 km from Cape Town in the West Cape Province, the island was for more than three centuries used by rulers as an incarceration center for political prisoners. Many political and human rights activists were brought here in an attempt to thwart their quest for freedom.
Robben Island was also previously used as a military base during the second world war (1939-1945), and as a hospital center for people with diseases that require isolation e.g. lepers, the chronically ill and other outcasts (1846-1931).
Although it had been in existence for over three hundred years, Robben Island came into the international limelight in the late 20th century during the apartheid years. This was the era in which South African freedom fighters, including Nelson Mandela - former president of South Africa- and the founding leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, among other leaders were imprisoned. Mandela was sent to Robben Island in 1963 after receiving a life imprisonment and he remained at the 6 sq km island for 27 years.
Political prisoners in Robben Island were often jailed together with common-law prisoners, and the only contact they had with the outside world was limited to two letters a year. After the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990, the remaining political detainees were set free in 1991. In 1996, the common law prisoners were also transferred to the South Africa mainland.
In 1997, the island was changed into a museum, the Robben Island Museum, which is today a cornerstone of South Africa's heritage. By running educational programs for schools and other visitors, and facilitating more research about the island, the museum promotes tourism development and archives South Africa historical information. In 1999, UNESCO declared Robben Island as a World Heritage Site.
In addition to Robben Island, South Africa boasts seven other world heritage sites. These include Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and surroundings that yielded the famous Taung Skull Fossil ? from the hominid Austalopithecus africanus ? in 1924. The area is often called the ?cradle of humanity?. The elevation of the Robben Island to a world heritage site status, according to UNESCO, symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression.
Robben Island supports some of the world?s most important breeding colonies of Bank Cormorants, Crowned Cormorants and Hartlaub's Gulls. It further supports a growing population of African Black Oystercatchers, representing approximately 5 per cent of the global population of the species.
Getting to Robben Island is easy by the ferries that operate from V&A waterfront in Cape Town. The ferries depart daily from the Nelson Mandela Gateway with schedules for 9am, 10am, 12pm, 1pm, and 3pm. On the island itself, visitors get to tour the former prison to get an overview of the former life of the political detainees imprisoned there from the 1960's to the 90's. Some of the tour guides in the Island are themselves former Robben Island prisoners. A standard Robben Island tour will take three and a half hours, including the two 30-minute rides to and from the island. - 16492
Robben Island was also previously used as a military base during the second world war (1939-1945), and as a hospital center for people with diseases that require isolation e.g. lepers, the chronically ill and other outcasts (1846-1931).
Although it had been in existence for over three hundred years, Robben Island came into the international limelight in the late 20th century during the apartheid years. This was the era in which South African freedom fighters, including Nelson Mandela - former president of South Africa- and the founding leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, among other leaders were imprisoned. Mandela was sent to Robben Island in 1963 after receiving a life imprisonment and he remained at the 6 sq km island for 27 years.
Political prisoners in Robben Island were often jailed together with common-law prisoners, and the only contact they had with the outside world was limited to two letters a year. After the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990, the remaining political detainees were set free in 1991. In 1996, the common law prisoners were also transferred to the South Africa mainland.
In 1997, the island was changed into a museum, the Robben Island Museum, which is today a cornerstone of South Africa's heritage. By running educational programs for schools and other visitors, and facilitating more research about the island, the museum promotes tourism development and archives South Africa historical information. In 1999, UNESCO declared Robben Island as a World Heritage Site.
In addition to Robben Island, South Africa boasts seven other world heritage sites. These include Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and surroundings that yielded the famous Taung Skull Fossil ? from the hominid Austalopithecus africanus ? in 1924. The area is often called the ?cradle of humanity?. The elevation of the Robben Island to a world heritage site status, according to UNESCO, symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression.
Robben Island supports some of the world?s most important breeding colonies of Bank Cormorants, Crowned Cormorants and Hartlaub's Gulls. It further supports a growing population of African Black Oystercatchers, representing approximately 5 per cent of the global population of the species.
Getting to Robben Island is easy by the ferries that operate from V&A waterfront in Cape Town. The ferries depart daily from the Nelson Mandela Gateway with schedules for 9am, 10am, 12pm, 1pm, and 3pm. On the island itself, visitors get to tour the former prison to get an overview of the former life of the political detainees imprisoned there from the 1960's to the 90's. Some of the tour guides in the Island are themselves former Robben Island prisoners. A standard Robben Island tour will take three and a half hours, including the two 30-minute rides to and from the island. - 16492
About the Author:
Andrew Muigai is the MD of Africapoint.com, a travel agency that provides South Africa Travel services and South Africa Hotel reservations among other Africa travel services.
