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Robben Island (prison)

Robben Island Prison is an inactive prison on Robben Island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometers (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. Nobel Laureate and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars before the fall of apartheid. Since then, three former inmates of the prison (Mandela, Kgalema Motlanthe,[1] and Jacob Zuma) have gone on to become President of South Africa.

Location

Robben Island, Cape Town

33°48′01″S 18°22′16″E / 33.80028°S 18.37111°E / -33.80028; 18.37111

Inactive

Maximum-minimum

1961

2011

South African government

Cape Town

7400

South Africa

robben-island.org.za

It is a South African National Heritage Site as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2][3]

History[edit]

Beginning in 1961, the prison was used by the South African government for political prisoners and convicted criminals. The maximum security prison for political prisoners closed in 1991 and the medium security prison for criminal prisoners was closed five years later in 1996.[4]

proponent of a multilingual South Africa and former revolutionary

Neville Alexander

(probably around 1625 – 1665), one of the first activists against colonialism, and a Robben Island prisoner from 1658 to around 1660.

Autshumato

Imam (also known as Tuan Guru), imprisoned from 1780 until 1793 for his anti-colonial activities against the Dutch.

Abdallah ibn Qadi Abdus Salaam

former activist and poet

Dennis Brutus

former activist of the African National Congress

Patrick Chamusso

former accused at Little Rivonia Trial

Laloo Chiba

South African anti-apartheid activist of Indian-origin and member of the ANC's armed wing Umkhonto We Sizwe.

Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim

anti-apartheid activist

Eddie Daniels

Namibian politician

Jerry Ekandjo

former Metro Mayor of Port Elizabeth

Nceba Faku

former ANC activist

Joe Gqabi

former ANC activist

Harry Gwala

South African politician activist

Nkwenkwe Nkomo

Namibian trade unionist, activist and politician

Petrus Iilonga

former Rivonia Trialist and long-serving prisoner

Ahmed Kathrada

Koesaaij, Malagasy co-leader of the in February, 1766

Meermin slave mutiny

The King of the Hlubi people, one of the first activists against colonialism[5]

Langalibalele

former activist and special forces of ANC – Tladi, Soweto

John Kenneth Malatji

,[6] later to become Archbishop of Cape Town

Njongonkulu Ndungane

imprisoned in 1974, President and Leader of the Congress of the People

Mosiuoa Lekota

former accused at Little Rivonia Trial

Mac Maharaj

one of the activists against colonialism

Makana

former PAC activist

Vusumzi Make

former PAC Activist

Clarence Makwetu

African National Congress leader and former president of South Africa (first black president)

Nelson Mandela

activist

Gamzo Mandierd

the first prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment in the apartheid era

Jeff Masemola

former Mayor of Johannesburg

Amos Masondo

Massavana, Malagasy leader of the in February, 1766

Meermin slave mutiny

leader of Young African Religious Movement. Sentenced at Bethal in 1979; released by PW Botha in 1987.

Michael Matsobane

Chief , former chief who died on the island in 1873

Maqoma

father of former president of South Africa Thabo Mbeki. Govan was sentenced to life in 1963 but was released from Robben Island in 1987 by PW Botha

Govan Mbeki

former accused at Little Rivonia Trial

Wilton Mkwayi

former Rivonia Trialist

Andrew Mlangeni

former PAC activist

Johnson Mlambo

Soweto Uprising student leader

Murphy Morobe

Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa

Dikgang Moseneke

former PAC activist

Zephania Mothopeng

former Rivonia Trialist

Elias Motsoaledi

the Prince of Madura, one of Cape Town's first imams, who was exiled to the island in 1740 and died there in 1754

Sayed Abdurahman Moturu

a South African Lawyer and member of the African National Congress

Griffiths Mxenge

former Rivonia Trialist and ANC/SACP leader

Billy Nair

a South African lawyer and member of the African National Congress

M. D. Naidoo

Namibian liberation fighter[7]

John ya Otto Nankudhu

Serving life but released by PW Botha in 1987

John Nkosi

leader in the Azanian People's Liberation Army

Jan Shoba

Founder of South African Freedom Organisation

Samuel Sisulu

the Xhosa prophetess responsible for the Cattle Killing

Nongqawuse

former Xhosa prophet who drowned while trying to escape

Maqana Nxele

co-founder and former chairman of the PAC

John Nyathi Pokela

former chairperson of the Democratic Alliance.

Joe Seremane

businessman and aspirant leader of the African National Congress

Tokyo Sexwale

Namibian politician

Gaus Shikomba

former ANC Activist

Walter Sisulu

former ANC Activist and first former Premier of the Eastern Cape.

Raymond Mhlaba

ANC Chief Whip

Stone Sizani

former leader of the PAC

Robert Sobukwe

youngest member of the South African Students' Organisation that planned and led the Soweto uprising

Seth Mazibuko

former ANC Activist

Steve Tshwete

former ANC Activist

Moses Twebe

Namibian politician

Andimba Toivo ya Toivo

Namibian politician

Sakaria Nashandi

former president of South Africa and leader of the African National Congress

Jacob Zuma

Achmad Cassiem, former leader of the (PAC) and leader of the Qibla movement

Pan-Africanist Congress

Setsiba Paul Mohohlo, former APLA unit commander

Micheal Ludumo Buka, former ANC Activist

Former deputy president of the African National Congress and South Africa's third president since the dawn of democracy

Kgalema Motlanthe

John Aifheli Thabo, an ANC political activist

an ANC political activist

Ezra Mvuyisi Sigwela

Xolani Casper Jonas, an ANC political activist

Kwezi Nontsikelo, ANC political activist, Advisor to the Minister of Defence

King Sigcau kaMqikela, royal king, grandson of King Faku kaNgqungqushe and one of the first activists against colonialism

Mpondo

Kisten Moonsamy, former Rivonia Trialist

Greek-Mozambican lifelong political militant and the assassin of Prime Minister of South Africa Hendrik Verwoerd

Dimitri Tsafendas

Stephen Dlamini, ANC activist

former ANC Activist

Peter Mokaba

former ANC Activist

Vejaynand Ramlakan

prominent anti-apartheid activist

George Naicker

Prison

Prison

Former prison cells and corridor

Former prison cells and corridor

Backyard

Backyard

Dormitory

Dormitory

Wash basins

Wash basins

Wash basins

Wash basins

Communal toilets

Communal toilets

Makana F.A.

Robben Island Museum

Robben Island – UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Robben Island Museum at Google Cultural Institute