Endawoke on Scientific Mission: January 2014

Unfortunately, today is my last day is South Africa, thus I woke up early to pack up my stuff. John picked me up at about 9:30am and took me to wine test village. I actually enjoyed testing different local wines. I bought a few bottles of wine and see how many of them make it to Boston. We then drove to the southern side of Hermanus to see more farm lands. Lee-Anne, who was in Pretoria for business purpose since Wednesday and came back last night, called John and would like to meet me before I head off back home. She and her husband met me for coffee. Although she could have done it on the phone, but she came to see me off in person, which I sincerely appreciate highly. Finally, SANSA driver drove me off to Cape Town to ‘just’ start my long flight journey to back home. In general, my visit to Hermanus was completely successful both scientifically and socially. I thank all the SANSA scientists and staff for their fruitful scientific discussion and hospitality they cherished me. My special thanks go to John-Bosco and Lee-Anne who made my trip to South African possible and successful.

If you wonder where those wonderful South African wine came from, here it is

Heading back to home!

Today I messed up a little bit. I woke up very late and I was already in bed when my car showed up to pick me up. Anyway, I did what had to do and went to SANSA just to accomplish a quick task before I headed off to Cape Town to catch the boat to Robin Island with John and Zamma. Zamma took the wheel to our way to Cape Town, and instead of the normal and short way, they drove me through ocean side drive way, just to show me a magnificent view. On our way to Cape Town, we stopped by at the Betty Bay, which is about 50km east of Hermanus, to see the Penguins. Remember Madagascar kid’s movie what kind of roles the Penguins played? Yes!

The Penguins at Betty Bay!

Who are these statue represents? (at the center of Cape Town)

This notice board attracted my attention, located inside the building where you board boat to Robin Island!

Then we continued our journey through Gordon Bay and finally found ourselves at the city center of Cape Town, where we boarded our boat to Robben Island. Although it was late by an hour, we safely boarded out boat and kicked off the journey, which took us about an hour to get to Robben Island (RI). Robben Island is a Dutch word which means ‘Sealed Island’. Chief Autshumao (European calls him Harry the Strandloper) the only man who escaped from Robben Island by rowing to the mainland in a small boat in 1658. Latter the island was turned into leper colony then a lunatic asylum then to a naval base. Finally during the apartheid era the island was returned back to prison camp. Today, it become a destination of tourism (~80K visitors a day), the island is not that big (I can’t remember the size of the island). There are about 200 people live there. The main source of jobs in RI is tourism. There is one elementary school and one church, which is open only for valentine day for those couples who would like to get married at this historic place.

When you step out from the boat in RI, this what you see!

When we disembarked from the boat, I saw a slogan that reads as “Freedom cannot be manacled”. Underneath this slogan different pictorial description of the long walk to freedom are portrayed, witnessing the correctness of the slogan. We then moved to the bus. In our bus, we meet one Jamaican origin South African young fellow who introduced himself as tour guide for those who were sitting in that bus. After he gave us a short background of the island, he instructed the driver to drive off to each site. The first stop was a museum, which looks like a mini Mosk that has tome stone that describes the history of the Dutch. The Apartheid, a regime that started in 1948 and abolished (at least its law) in 1994, was also using this to spread Islam in South Africa as there were also Muslim prisoners.

Direction where to go!

A Mosk type Apartheid museum!

The church (right) used during the regime, but now it only opens once in a year!

On our way to the next stop, we saw the prisons, the soccer field, and grave yard. The prisoners were allowed to play soccer only over the weekend. The grave yards actually were from the leprosy colonial era of South Africa (1840 – 1941); a lot of people from leprosy disease has died during that time and were buried here. Those people with leprosy disease had one church at RI to come together and pray. During this era, there were only one way to escape from the island, and that was by boat. The next stop was a small valley type rocks, surrounded by the stone walls. This was the place where the prisoners were forced to do hard labor. The hard labor was breaking stones from the wall, using chisel and hammer. There was no mercy for those who got tiered and would like to have a little break. This actually reminds me the history of the Israelite in Egypt during the Ferro era. After the fall of Apartheid in 1994, most freedom fighters, who were alive at the time, came to RI and placed a stone at a specified place and made a little stone hill which is located at the center of this valley. This is to commemorate those who passed due to the merciless hard labor.

This was the place where prisoners excavated rocks. The big hole at the wall was served as toilet for the prisoners while they were at work!

After they excavated the rocks, they were also asked to break it!

The next stop was at Robert Sobukwe’s prison house. He was the president of Pan African Congress (PAC). His story is amazing. He was sentence to a certain year prison time. His prison time ended around the time when Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia organized a meeting Addis Ababa to form Organization for African Union (OAU). Knowing that Mandela and Robert Sobukwe got invited to represent ANC and PAC, respectively, at the meeting, the Apartheid regime introduced a new law (also known as Sobukwe clause) to justify the regime's decision to lock Sobukwe in Robben Island for extra time, though his prison time expired. However, he was given two rooms house and was not asked to do hard labor as the other prisoner usually did. He was considered as guest of state but not allowed to leave RI, very systematic political strategy. He stayed in RI for a total of 6 years. Later he was transferred to Kimberley prison and lived there for 12 year until he died on 27 February 1978 with throat injury. The cause of his death is still controversial.

Robert Sobukwe's two-room house!

His portrait posted in his room!

Then finally we were taken to the prisons, which are divided in to different sections. The first section that we saw was group prison in which they were given a blanket and a mat to sleep on. In 1978 due to international pressure they were given a bank bend with mattress. The group prisoners had a group shower and toilet.

Some of the prison houses!

If you assumed every prisoners had the same type of food, you are wrong. Here are list of foods according to the prisoners' racial condition!

The prisoners' letter to the family had been censored as shown above.

This man, who is now serving as tour guide, was former prisoner!

Prisoners were sleeping with one of the mat shown here.

The next and final tour of ours was to see private prison cell (2m x 3m) where leaders of the freedom campaign were kept, including Mandela. Unlike the group prisoners, prisoners at the private cell did not have toilet, instead they were given a pot to use as toilet. When the prison cell opens in the morning, each prisoner took their pot to the toilet and cleaned it next use. Unlike others, Mr Mandela requested to have a garden which was granted by the regime. He had a garden just at the back of his prison cell. He actually used it as hiding place for his manuscripts that he wrote while he was in prison. The manuscripts later smuggled out by one of the prisoner who got released way before Mandela did, and of course got published as a book with the title “Long walk to freedom”. As it is well known internationally, Mandela went to prison for 27 years. This is a combination of his time at three different prisons; and that includes 18 years in RI, 7 years in Pollsmoor Prison center and 2 years Victor Verster Prison before he released in Feb 1990.

This was Mr Mandela's cell (2mx3m) wide, pictured from different angles!

The multipurpose Mr Mandela's garden!

Pumlani Ngqungwana; the last political prisoner from Robin Island when he got released in 1991!

Finally, we concluded out RI tour and boarded a boat and headed got back to Cape Town. We picked up our car from the garage where parked in Cape Town and drove (John was behind the wheel this time) back to Hermanus safely. What a wonderful memorable day I had. I personally thank John-Bosco for the arrangement of this memorable visit to the historic Robin Island or sealed island (sealed in deed).