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Cape Town February 03 - Snapshots of a long weekend - including a visit to Cell 5 - B Section.
Pictures are thumbnails. Click on the small picture to load a bigger version.
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| The view from my Hotel room in Bantry Bay... | Sunset in Bantry Bay... | Cape Town is a working harbor - these two oil rigs are in for repair. | The Waterfront area is a hive of activity - with dancers and singers using every available opportunity to peddle their wares. | The Clock tower in the Waterfront - used to be the Harbormasters base |
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| The cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain costs about seven Pounds. ($10) | The Lions Head viewed from the top of the mountain | The beach area below is Camps Bay - possibly the most exclusive of the seaside areas of Cape Town, filled with world class restuarants, and boasting possibly the most expensive real estate in South Africa. | Looking towards Llandudno | And facing the Mountain is the Worlds most famous prison. Robben Island |
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| The visit to Robben Island starts here - at the Nelson Mandela gateway building located in the Waterfront.... The building is also a Museum containing imagery and items from the years of struggle- including the poster marking the death in detention of Neil Agget. | This boat - The DIAS - is the boat used to transport prisoners and guests to and from the Island. Its floorboards could tell the story of many famous feet. | Ironically - the paunchy gentleman - our 'former convict' guide - once participated in a 25 day hunger strike - opposing the ludicrous Afrikaner habit of applying dietary regimens according to racial groups. Asians and coloreds were allowed two cups of tea a day - but Blacks only one. Our guide was sentenced to 18 years for his subversive actions - and told us he served nine before being the last man to be released following Mandela's departure - a mere ten years ago. | This is the breakdown of dietary apartheid. And a good illustration of the mind set of the operators of the prison. Discrimination against Blacks was more than just a habit. It appears to have been the subject of scientific endeavor, or was that just another opportunity taken to diminish the spirit of the black prisoners. | Anyone wishing to visit a Prisoner - and one thinks of Winnie waiting to see Nelson - would face up to a year of waiting for the Beaurocracy to process their application. All visits took place in this building, located close to the Jetty. A warder was present at all times. Only English or Afrikaans could be spoken. If this rule was broken - the meeting was immediately terminated - and it might take another year before a return visit would be allowed. |
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| Upon arrival on the Island - inmates would be received in this building - The Reception. | The gates through which inmates would enter after a days work in their various work placements... and I was told - the intended location for thepostponed February 2 Mandela Aids charity concert. | The rank and file political prisoners were kept in group cells such as this one. Rank and file were separated from leadership. | This is the bathroom attached to the cell. Its is significant because in the cell - lights out was at 7 PM - however in the bathroom - the lights burnt all night. | Mandela's fantastic influence on the Island was to promote the idea that it would become a 'University' - and learning was the currency of freedom. Inmates would retire to the well lit bathroom after lights out to further their 'distance' learning programs. |
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| The leadership - around thirty in number - worked in this Lime Quarry. The only shade was the small cave in picture centre. This was used daily for ablutions, as well as at meal time. After many years it is easy to imagine the smell - and general discomfort in this cave.... | however - we were told that it was in this cave that Mandela - and the other literate members of leadership - using basic diagrams drawn in the poo infested muck of this cave floor- provided the introduction to education that led to a major outbreak of educational qualifications amongst the occupants of this cave, who went on to form the ANC government. Perhaps this cave more than any other image - is the symbolic birthplace of South Africa's democracy. | It is unlikely that any other prison population can match that of Robben Island in terms of the degree to which inmates acquired educational qualifications. It is difficult to leave this place without becoming aware of the inspirational effect Mr Mandela's had on his fellow Prisoners. |
From the rank and file cell block - we followed the guide down another corridor toward the tour highlight - the most famous prison cell in History. | The area between the prison blocks housing the rank and file and the leadership. Vigorous efforts ensured they were kept apart.
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| A typical prison bed in the leadership cells. | Cell number 5 - has no prison bed. Its occupant was too tall for the standard issue prison beds. |
And so for fourteen years in a room barely large enough to lie in without touching both walls at the same time - Mandela's bed was the floor. | Our guide told us that once mandela's plight became a matter for concern and subsequent Political pressure - he was offered improved conditions. He asked if this would apply to all the prisoners - and without that assurance declined them for himself. So - up until his final night on the Island he slept right here. | The cell is too small to get a wide shot with a standard camera lens - so here's a picture of 'the bathroom side of the cell.' |
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| The window in cell 5.... Front page news in the Cape Argus (cape Towns leading daily) on the day I visited - was Mandela's reference to George Bush Jnr as 'A President who cannot think' Certainly, surviving with his dignity intact from so many years of spirit breaking deprivation - with an insight into political tolerance and wisdom that has illuminated the civilized world - it is difficult to fault Mr Mandela's opinion. |
Unlike Politicians who inherit Leadership roles without possessing the natural qualities that we now, and history before us, associate with leadership, Mandela clearly commanded the respect of his fellow prisoners long before the rest of the World looked on in wonder. In the most basic conditions imaginable - stripped of all but the strength of his own conviction, his ability to provide convincing leadership across a diverse spectrum of opinions from hysterical base illiterates to intelligentsia supports the impression that he is possessed of great leadership qualities. It is interesting, if perhaps obviously unfair, to imagine the outcome were George Bushs' leadership qualities subjected to any similar test of character.
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This is what lies on the other side of the window of cell 5 Cell number five is the one to the left most of picture. |
For most of the time that Robben Island was used by the National Party - this was the only picture seen by the outside world. Its taken from a similar position to the one I took - however you will notice the difference. A dividing wall was later erected to isolate the leadership still further. | Perhaps the harshest treatment ever meted out to any inmate on Robben Island was reserved for Robert Sobukwe. The first leader to have an Internationally significant impact on the National Parties expectation for Black compliance. In organising passive resistance to the Pass Book, (The identity document all Black people were required by harshly enforced law to carry at all times - limiting their rights to movement in accord with the 'group areas act' and giving even the lowest class of Afrikaner trailer trash instant supremacy over the most educated Black man) many thousands of Blacks turned themselves in at Police stations countrywide - to destroy their passbooks - and goad the police into arresting them en' masse. The result was - Sharpeville - and the beginning of world awareness for the conditions prevailing in the Afrikaners mind set. Sobukwe's punishment was unprecedented - including solitary confinement in this house. The only political prisoner to be treated this way. |
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| It is nice to think that the harshness of life here was made less unbearable by the spectacular beauty that exists on Robben Island. | Cape Town - viewed from Robben island February 2003. | Leaving Robben Island ... ironically - it is now a World heritage site - a popular tourist destination, staffed by .....many of the same people who staffed it before.... Former wardens no occupy administrative posts - former convicts act as guides. It is remarkable to witness the spirit of 'reconciliation' that made the seemingly impossible plausible.
If you would like to contact me go HERE |
Another of the tourist destinations in Cape Town is Cape Point - where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. The entrance is populated by these rather fierce looking baboons..... |
The Southern-most tip of the African Continent - Cape Point. |
And heres my favorite song about Nelson Mandela - Produced in 1995 by myself and Charlie Morgan. Louis song was a joy to record at the time - and remains a fabulous recording. And - in the spirit of Mr Mandela - please feel free to download the complete version of this song for your enjoyment. This is an MP3 file - simply download by clicking on this link and play. featuring..Mo Foster. Charlie Morgan. Doug Boyle. Lianne Carrol. Roy Villanis. Ken Anselm. Theo Travis. Paul Jayasinha and Barry Langton.
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Sowhet2....by Louis Robeiro 1993 For
most of his life to an island he was exiled to
Sowhet2
- the voice of the people
Sowhet2
- the voice of the people |
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