On 27 September 2025, history was written on Robben Island. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Hon. Gayton McKenzie, together with the Namibian Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Hon. Sanet Steenkamp, led a deeply moving and historic reunion of ex-political prisoners (EPPs).
This was no ordinary gathering—it was the culmination of sleepless nights, extensive planning, and tireless consultation to honour the men and women who sacrificed everything for freedom.
A Wall of Remembrance now bears 2 717 names of ex-political prisoners incarcerated on Robben Island. Of the 464 living EPPs, 336 received medals in recognition of their unbreakable courage.
In a moment that stirred the soul of the nation, six statues were unveiled on Robben Island, each immortalising a towering figure of resistance and resilience:
- Autshumato, chief of the Khoekhoen Gorinhaikonas (or Goringhaicona), was the first prisoner banished to Robben Island in 1658. Before and during the establishment of the Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, he served as an interpreter for Europeans.
- !goa/gõas, Krotoa (or Kroket in Dutch, Christian name Eva), was the first woman banished to Robben Island in 1668. Unjustly convicted for “immoral behaviour,” she was imprisoned on the island until her death.
- Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, became the country’s first black head of state and the first elected in a fully democratic election, serving as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Convicted of sabotage in 1964, he was imprisoned on Robben Island until 1982, spending 18 years of his incarceration there.
- Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), was convicted of incitement and held in solitary confinement on Robben Island between 1963 and 1969.
- Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, a founding member of Namibia’s South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO), was convicted in South Africa under the Terrorism Act and imprisoned on Robben Island from 1968 to 1984, serving 16 years for his role in Namibia’s liberation struggle.
- Khotso Seathlolo, a member of the Black Consciousness Movement and deputy president of the Soweto Students’ Representative Council (SSRC), was instrumental in triggering the 1976 Soweto Uprising. Convicted under the Terrorism Act, he was imprisoned on Robben Island between 1982 and 1990.
Together, these six statues stand as eternal symbols of defiance, sacrifice, and hope—ensuring that the story of Robben Island is told not only as one of suffering, but as a legacy of unbreakable courage and liberation.
Minister Sanet Steenkamp reminded the gathering of the enduring values carried by those who suffered: “As we gather in the spirit of unity, we pay tribute not only to your suffering but to your unbroken will and ideals for which you stood—freedom, equality, dignity, and humanity. These ideals must continue to guide us as we confront the contemporary challenges of inequality and injustices in our societies.”
Minister Gayton McKenzie paid heartfelt tribute to the sacrifices of the ex-political prisoners, declaring: “Compatriots, today we honour the lives and memories of the people who gave up their dreams so that we can dream, and so that we could end our collective nightmare. All our achievements, triumphs, and the freedom we enjoy to make better lives for ourselves and our children are because the people whose names we remember here today were the ones who dreamt us into existence on the hard pillows in the cold cells of Robben Island, for night after night, year after year, decade after decade. You are our heroes today and for generations to come. We are immensely proud and grateful to you and your families who sacrificed equally with you. Thank you for lending us these heroes. We owe you a debt that can only be repaid by making your sacrifices worth it.”
The event was further dignified by the presence of:
- The Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, Hon. Saara Kuugongelwa
- Executive Director for the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport and Culture, Mr. Gerard Vries
- Director in the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Ms. Penofina Eises
- Director of Finance at MEIYSAC, Ms. Levinia Karises
- Director of the National Heritage Council of Namibia, Ms. Erica Ndalikokule
- South Africa’s former Deputy President and former Speaker of the National Assembly, H.E. Baleka Mbete
- Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Hon. Mzwandile Nyhontso
- Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Hon. Richard Mkungo
- Western Cape MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Mr. Ricardo Mackenzie
- Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Eddie Andrews
- Chairperson of the Association of Ex-Political Prisoners, Mr. Lulamile Xate
Together, leaders, former prisoners, families, and communities bore witness to a sacred act of national memory. Robben Island now stands not only as a monument of pain, but as an expanded space of memory, honour, and unshakable freedom. This legacy will endure, ensuring that generations to come—South Africans, Namibians, and visitors from across the world—will stand on this soil and hear a more powerful telling of our shared history.
Enquiries:
Ms Stacey-Lee Khojane
Spokesperson: Office of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
E-mail: StaceyK@dsac.gov.za
Cell: 077 608 7579
Ms Zimasa Velaphi
Head of Communication and Marketing: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
E-mail: ZimasaV@dsac.gov.za
Cell: 072 172 8925
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