Ozier Muhammad Photojournalist

Robben Island

10 members of the African National Congress were convicted of treason and sent here to Robben Island to serve life sentences from 1962 to 1964. Ahmed Kathrada and Nelson Mandela were 2 of them. All of them were released over the span of a couple of years starting in late 1989. 

  • 07-05-2013 - A common area for prisoners under a guard tower at Robben Island Prison Museum.
  • 07-05-2013 - A corridor inside a building where prisoners took education classes. The prisoner worked 5 days a week and took education classes every night after their work. One of the guides, said that it was very difficult to learn, being bone tired after working in the lime quarries all day.
  • Visitors on the tour listen to a guide describe what it was like to be a political prisoner here.
  • 07-05-2013 - Visitors on the tour listen to a guide describe what it was like to be a political prisoner here.
  • 07-05-2013 - A file card indicates charges South Africa's Apartheid Government brought against this prisoner. Billy Nair was charged with Sabotage.
  • 07-05-2013 - Robben Island has served as a place for many different institutions besides a penal institution. It has also been a: leper colony, and a military base of operation. This is a relic of it's past: combining the penal and military aspects.
  • 07-05-2013 - Political prisoner Lizo Ngqungwana, 1987 to 1991.
  • 07-05-2013 - Photo of Antonio Du Preez, who was imprisoned here in this cell from 1986 to 1991 for political reasons. He mentioned in the journal letter that he wrote that the Robben Island Museum committee collect and later posted. The Museum writes: Du Preez was serving the 15 plus years he was sentenced to, for the charge of subversive acts against the South African Government. Upon his arrival here, he refers to an encounter in a letter posted inside this cell in which du Preez wrote: 'an old man, said to me upon my arrival here, {quote}how are you comrade?{quote} That old man was Mandela.'
  • 07-05-2013 - A detail of the what Antonio du Preez wrote while imprisoned here. The comrade he was referring to was Nelson Mandela. Du Preez was imprisoned here in this cell from 1986 to 1991 for political reasons.
  • 07-05-2013 - A photo of Nceba Faku, in one of the cells he occupied. He served 2 terms here for sedition, from 1976 to 1982, and 1983 to 1990.
  • 07-05-2013 - Political prisoner, Ezra Sigwela, 1970 to 1979
  • 07-05-2013 - One of the yards. This one was more frequented by the prisoners than the other yards here.
  • 07-05-2013 - One of the yards. This one was more frequented by the prisoners than the other yards here.
  • 07-05-2013 - This is Mr. Mandela's cell which he occupied for almost 20 years.
  • 07-05-2013 - Mr. Mandela cultivated a vegetable garden in this tiny plot in the prisoners common area. He also hid notes that was source material that he used to write his book {quote}A long Walk To Freedom.{quote}
  • 07-05-2013 - A road to a section of former homes of prison guards at the prison museum.
  • 07-05-2013 - A former political prisoner, now tour guide, keeps watch of his tour group as they take a look at Cape Town from here.
  • 07-05-2013 - A tour group looks towards Cape Town from the grounds of this former prison.
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