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.

Maximum Security Prison
Prison building
Robben Island (prison) is located in Cape Town
Robben Island (prison)
Location in Cape Town
LocationRobben Island, Cape Town
Coordinates33°48′01″S 18°22′16″E
StatusInactive
Security classMaximum-minimum
Opened1961
Closed2011
Managed bySouth African government
CityCape Town
Postal code7400
CountrySouth Africa
Websiterobben-island.org.za
Notable prisoners
Nelson Mandela, Kgalema Motlanthe, Jacob Zuma

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

History

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]

List of former prisoners


  • Nelson Mandela's prison cell
    Nelson Mandela's prison cell
  • Japhta Masemola's prison cell
    Japhta Masemola's prison cell
  • Paul Langa's prison cell
    Paul Langa's prison cell
  • Thami Mkhwanazi's prison cell
    Thami Mkhwanazi's prison cell
  • Zahkele Mdlalose's prison cell
    Zahkele Mdlalose's prison cell
  • 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

See also

References
  1. "New S. Africa president sworn in". BBC News. 25 September 2008. Archived from the original on 27 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  2. "9/2/018/0004 – Robben Island, Table Bay". South African Heritage Resources Agency. Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  3. "Robben Island". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  4. Chronology Archived 15 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Robben Island Museum website, retrieved 8 June 2013
  5. sahoboss (2011-03-16). "Hlubi Chief Langalibalele becomes one of the first Black activists to be tried and banished to Robben Island". South African History Online. Archived from the original on 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  6. Sindiwe Magona (1 October 2012). From Robben Island to Bishop's Court: The Biography of Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane. David Philip. ISBN 978-0-86486-738-4. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  7. "John Ya Otto Nankudhu passes on". New Era. NAMPA. 22 June 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
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