Nelson Mandela International Day

Today is Nelson Mandela International Day. Nelson Mandela spent the greatest number of years that he was in prison - 18 out of 27 on Robben Island (South Africa) World Heritage site.

Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century such as the maximum security prison for political prisoners, witness the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism.

Reflecting on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela shared: “How do we reflect the fact that the people of South Africa as a whole, together with the international community, turned one of the world’s most notorious symbols of the resistance of oppression into a world-wide icon of the universality of human rights, of hope, peace, and reconciliation?” (President Nelson Mandela, Heritage Day, 24 September 1997, Robben Island).

Watch this video to learn more about the World Heritage site

Watch this video to learn more about how Robben Island is impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic