Writing/Righting History: Some of South Africa’s Political Prisoners Speak

On the sixth day of our expedition in Cape Town, South Africa we traveled to Robben Island. After a rainy and rocky 30 minute boat ride across the ocean from the Cape Town waterfront to the island we landed at the misty port of the island, greeted by several hundred seagulls. For those unfamiliar with the purpose of Robben Island in Cape Town history, it is an island that contained a prison for criminals with an adjoining limestone quarry. The island was used to not only imprison criminals who violated laws in South Africa but it was also used to detain political prisoners at the onset of Apartheid. The island also served as a colony temporarily for those people in South Africa suffering from leprosy. The prison on the island closed in 1991 and became a museum in 1997.

After disembarking the boat, we were immediately greeted by Lionel Davis, a former political prisoner on Robben Island who was incarcerated from 1961-1975, and also by Nelson Mandela’s former prison guard at Robben Island. Lionel proceeded to begin our tour at the prison and show us the hallway and courtyard where him and other prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, were kept. He explained how political prisoners were watched especially close in the prison, and treated as poorly as the most hardened criminals on the island. Mr. Davis, a true definition of a “righter” of South African history explained how he was locked in solitary confinement for the majority of his imprisonment and the conditions that he endured. The prisoners worked for the majority of the day (7am-4pm) and were instructed to perform tasks such as breaking slate with a hammer to make concrete, and also suffer back-breaking work in the nearby limestone quarry. He also explained other specific details such as the system of prisoner visits and correspondence within Robben Island. The prisoners were granted one 30-minute visit every 6 months- no more or less. They received mail after it had been censored by the government and prison personnel to the extent that it was unreadable, which to me would be one of the hardest obstacles to overcome because these men were truly isolated not only from other prisoners but also the rest of the world.

During this explanation of prison communication with the outside world, Nelson Mandela’s former guard interjected with a story. He talked about how he allowed Nelson Mandela a secret visit with his grandchild, although babies were not allowed on the island or allowed to visit with the prisoners. He talked about how he kept that secret with Mandela until many years after Mandela was released because he knew that he risked getting both of them in trouble within the prison. This was an interesting story to hear because it expressed not only the brotherhood that was able to exist between a black and white man during Apartheid, but it also reflected how not everyone agreed with the rules and regulations that existed for these political prisoners even if they were in a position of authority.

Lionel Davis finished our tour of the prison in a cell that was used to house many criminals. After we ate a brief snack and reflected on our day thus far, Lionel talked about how the friendships and respect that developed amongst the prisoners was inspiring and also a threat to the Robben Island authority and government. The political prisoners were mostly well educated and able to educate the other criminals about their cause, allowing the activists to gain internal support even within prison walls. At the end of our time with Mr. Davis he made a powerful suggestion, which was that, “being in prison made him a better South African and a better human being.”  He also stated that Nelson Mandela would not be the man he was today or could have created the changes that he did, without his learning experience in prison. Lionel Davis has become an important historical resource regarding the Apartheid, and mentioned that becoming a tour guide of Robben Island is way of reconciling with his past struggles or a way of “righting” his past. In a closing statement by Mr. Davis he said, “When I was in prison I wasn’t allowed to talk and now that I’m out of prison I can’t stop talking,” which left us all with a smile as we headed for lunch in a different area of Robben Island.

After lunch we resumed our tour with 2 other speakers. The first speaker was James Matthews, another former political prisoner of Robben Island and also a former senior investigator of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Mr. Zenzile Khoisan. Zenzile Khoisan has made his life work reconciling the horrors committed during the Apartheid although he was not a political prisoner himself.  It was obvious through his talk he had with us, just how passionate he was about this cause and also how important it is to resolve the wrong-doings committed during the Apatheid. James Matthews was a political prisoner for approximately 6 months at Robben Island for his involvement in political activism during the Apartheid. From 1978-1980, James Matthews was refused a passport to travel for literature studies in Germany and the United States. He talked about how this was a definite struggle during the Apartheid and evidence of the restrictions placed on his race. Mr. Matthews, a “writer”of history, explained that the poetry he wrote and the art he created was meant to be non-violent and was a means for him to meditate, especially during his imprisonment. At the finale of his meeting with us, he read excerpts from his poetry book,  “Pass me a meatball, Jones” which some of us later bought on the ferry returning to Cape Town, as a way of commemorating his art and our experience with him.

Lionel Davis and James Matthews and the others who reflected with us during our day on Robben Island, were able to give us a small insight on the struggles and opposition that many faced in order to create the equality that exists in South Africa today. Both of these men could be considered “righters” and “writers” of South African history through the work they have done in the past and the present. Although they were not able to accomplish creating equality among races single-handedly, all of these men are examples of the type of individual effort that is required to bring about a broader change.

While many of my questions were answered after we left the island, a few questions still lingered. Will all of the people who suffered during the Apartheid ever be fully reconciled? How will this verbal recollection of the Apartheid be reflected to further generations to emphasize the struggles that men and women of South Africa endured? My final question was how can we help as human beings to ensure that a struggle like this never occurs in South Africa or another part of the world again, and will tolerance and love of other human beings ever be enough?

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Political prisoners educating other people as a means of reconciliation and commemoration of past struggles and opposition #RobbenIsland #Apartheid