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【衛報】1964/8/10：開普敦Robben Island，著名監獄
2017-08-10 00:00:00[/size=2]
The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/10/robben-island-prison-south-africa[/size=2][/center]
S[/size=6]even miles off Cape Town, in the heart of Table Bay, lies Robben Island, the Alcatraz of South Africa, home of some 1,500 long-term prisoners. A waterless, arid patch of land, surrounded by shark-inhabited water, it has been used by South African Governments in the past alternately as a place of exile for defeated African chiefs, as a leper colony, as a defence establishment, and, in the last few years, as a “maximum security” prison for “dangerous criminals.”
The composition of the present prison colony reveals most clearly whom the Nationalist Government of Dr Verwoerd regards as most dangerous to the apartheid State. Of a total prison population of about 1,500, about 500 have been convicted of crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, assault, fraud, housebreaking and theft. The remaining 1,000 are political prisoners. Three hundred have been convicted of sabotage, a political crime created by the so-called Sabotage Act of 1962, which imposes heavier penalties than the common law crime of treason and places the onus of proving innocence on the accused. The remainder have been convicted of offences in terms of the Suppression of Communism Act (1950), the Public Safety Act of 1953, the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1953) (outlawing passive resistance), the Riotous Assemblies Act (1956) and the Unlawful Organisations Act (1960) (outlawing the African National Congress, the Pan-Africanist Congress and later, the Congress of Democrats) – all laws created or amended since the Nationalist Government came to power with the intention of suppressing the people’s resistance to apartheid.
Another peculiarity of Robben Island is that it is an apartheid gaol for non-white prisoners only; both criminal and political. Here are incarcerated Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and the other non-white accused in the Rivonia trial who were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment. Among other well-known non-white political prisoners serving sentences on Robben Island are Dennis Brutus, former secretary of the South African Non-Racial Olympics Committee; George Peake, former leader of the Coloured People’s Congress and Cape Town city councillor; Billy Nair and Curnick Ndlovu, Natal trade unionists, national liberation movement from all parts of South Africa.
It is true that prominent men may be allowed to study, but in general, the treatment of political prisoners on Robben Island is harsh in the extreme, far worse than that meted out to the ordinary criminals. In the first place, all political prisoners are automatically placed in category D, the lowest grade for prisoners, entitling them to the least privileges and ensuring that they receive the most arduous punishment for the most trifling offences. Political prisoners in category D may receive only one visit and write and receive only one letter each six months. Their food, clothing, and living conditions are of the worst. Unlike other prisoners, they do not automatically receive a remission of one third of their sentences on good behaviour, but must serve the full term of their sentence – and even then, as in the case of Robert Sobukwe, may be detained indefinitely thereafter.
Access to the island is not easy. Special permits have to be obtained to travel to the island by the prison ferry. However, some prisoners who have been discharged have carried their stories to the outside world. The attitude of the warders towards the political prisoners is one of uncompromising hostility and every means is adopted to break their spirit.
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The Guardian
S[/size=6]even miles off Cape Town, in the heart of Table Bay, lies Robben Island, the Alcatraz of South Africa, home of some 1,500 long-term prisoners. A waterless, arid patch of land, surrounded by shark-inhabited water, it has been used by South African Governments in the past alternately as a place of exile for defeated African chiefs, as a leper colony, as a defence establishment, and, in the last few years, as a “maximum security” prison for “dangerous criminals.”
The composition of the present prison colony reveals most clearly whom the Nationalist Government of Dr Verwoerd regards as most dangerous to the apartheid State. Of a total prison population of about 1,500, about 500 have been convicted of crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, assault, fraud, housebreaking and theft. The remaining 1,000 are political prisoners. Three hundred have been convicted of sabotage, a political crime created by the so-called Sabotage Act of 1962, which imposes heavier penalties than the common law crime of treason and places the onus of proving innocence on the accused. The remainder have been convicted of offences in terms of the Suppression of Communism Act (1950), the Public Safety Act of 1953, the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1953) (outlawing passive resistance), the Riotous Assemblies Act (1956) and the Unlawful Organisations Act (1960) (outlawing the African National Congress, the Pan-Africanist Congress and later, the Congress of Democrats) – all laws created or amended since the Nationalist Government came to power with the intention of suppressing the people’s resistance to apartheid.
Another peculiarity of Robben Island is that it is an apartheid gaol for non-white prisoners only; both criminal and political. Here are incarcerated Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and the other non-white accused in the Rivonia trial who were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment. Among other well-known non-white political prisoners serving sentences on Robben Island are Dennis Brutus, former secretary of the South African Non-Racial Olympics Committee; George Peake, former leader of the Coloured People’s Congress and Cape Town city councillor; Billy Nair and Curnick Ndlovu, Natal trade unionists, national liberation movement from all parts of South Africa.
It is true that prominent men may be allowed to study, but in general, the treatment of political prisoners on Robben Island is harsh in the extreme, far worse than that meted out to the ordinary criminals. In the first place, all political prisoners are automatically placed in category D, the lowest grade for prisoners, entitling them to the least privileges and ensuring that they receive the most arduous punishment for the most trifling offences. Political prisoners in category D may receive only one visit and write and receive only one letter each six months. Their food, clothing, and living conditions are of the worst. Unlike other prisoners, they do not automatically receive a remission of one third of their sentences on good behaviour, but must serve the full term of their sentence – and even then, as in the case of Robert Sobukwe, may be detained indefinitely thereafter.
Access to the island is not easy. Special permits have to be obtained to travel to the island by the prison ferry. However, some prisoners who have been discharged have carried their stories to the outside world. The attitude of the warders towards the political prisoners is one of uncompromising hostility and every means is adopted to break their spirit.
Continue reading
How to access the Guardian and Observer digital archive
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