12 kilometres outside the coast of Cape Town you find Robben Island. From the 17th to the 20th century Robben Island was used to isolate people, primarily as a prison. It was also a habitat for political activists that fought for the rights of the black people and worked for a fair and democratic country when the apartheid ruled in South Africa.
The most famous prisoner is the former ANC-leader Nelson Mandela. He was on the island for 18 years, from 1963 to 1982. He is best known as the first black president in South Africa.
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The island has not only been used as a prison. It was also a hospital for people with leprosy and mental illness between 1846-1931. Under the Second World War, it was a training and defence station. It was kept prisoners on the island during both of these periods.
Today it’s no longer a prison on the Robben Island, but a museum. It’s a popular destination for tourists visiting South Africa. Many think of Robben Island as a symbol of the price South African paid for freedom