Christo Brand, Former Prison Warden, said, “I opened the cells, one night early we visit there and I see the old people sleeping on the floor, they look quite uncomfortable. So I feel sorry for them.
But Brand, like millions of other white South Africans, was still blinded by racial bigotry.

Christo Brand, Former Prison Warden, said, “I think the situation in the country, the white people was not informed. They did not know what is really going on. What is this black guy fighting for? They thinking that fighting to take over the country and chase the white people into the sea. They never thought of the ideas that Mandela have that he was prepared to die for the freedom of everyone in this country”

It may look glossy now but the realities of life on Robben Island were harsh.

Ahmed Kathrada, former political activist, said, “There is an explosion of memory when you are alone. You would be amazed. When I try and think of all those things I remembered at that time, I can’t do it anymore. But an explosion of memory about political songs, Kevin Barry in the Irish struggle, Tugor in the Indian struggle. And you repeat that all the time. And your own struggle naturally. And that keeps your spirit up.”

The white wardens were determined to belittle their prisoners - and to break their spirit.

Ahmed Kathrada, former political activist, said, “So Govan Mbeki, 20 years my senior, Sisulu, 18 years my senior, Madiba 11 years my senior. I’m the youngest at 34. Youngest not on Robben Island but youngest of the seven. I’ve got long trousers and socks. My colleagues, my elders, my leaders, short trousers, no socks. The rational of course is that all Africans, regardless of age, are boys or girls. And boys wear short trousers.”

Mandela, who had boxed for much of his life until he was jailed, displayed strength of body and spirit in prison. But there was more to this man. Something that many have since come to call the Madiba Magic.

Ahmed Kathrada, former political activist, said, “In the section where we stayed there were no flush toilets. There were these buckets. And there was a time in the ‘60’s – 65, 66 or maybe a bit later – when all of us were down with flu – except Madiba. You know he was a gymnast and a boxer and he was strong. And there was a handful of others, about two or t here others who had come freshly. And they were not affected by the flu. The rest of us were down. We couldn’t’ get up. Madiba and those two or three chaps, every morning used to come from cell to cell, pick up our buckets, empty them, wash them, and put them in the sun…..Now people get surprised. Here’s Mandela, why is carrying buckets? But it came naturally to him; he didn’t have to prepare for it.”

One of the worst deprivations for the political prisoners on Robben Island was the loss of family ties. Access to information was tightly controlled and letters often failed to arrive.

Ndileka Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, said, “This is the third generation, the great grandchildren, although they have grown in number. This one here is my son, my nephew, my niece the one who died in a horrific car accident in 2010. And my daughter. And of course this one here is my daughter. She hates this photo. My uncle, Makhato, who died of Aids-related thing in 2005, this is Ghondo. Madiba’s first wife. The person you see standing in front of you here was formed by this woman. She was a really formidable woman. Like I say, I could write a book about her.”

Ndileka Mandela is the daughter of Nelson Mandela’s much-loved first son, Madiba Thembekile, killed in a car crash at the age of 24. The Apartheid authorities refused to allow Mandela to attend the funeral.

Ndileka Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, said, “The system was so repressive that they could not even allow my grandfather the basic human dignity of saying goodbye to a beloved. I think that’s just really cruel – and mean.”

While Mandela has typically made light of the trials of imprisonment, many of the Robben Island inmates helped shape today’s South Africa.

Nelson Mandela said, “You have here assembled men and women, some of whom are hardly known, even to other prisoners here. These are men and women who have made our history and who have brought about big changes.”

And it wasn’t just the married prisoners who suffered.

Ahmed Kathrada, former political activist, said, “I didn’t have my children - any children. And it was in 1983, I think, 20 years, that I held, I saw a child for the first time after 20 years”

There were some familial visits however, as long as the family members visiting were over sixteen. Ndileka Mandela remembers her first time to the island.

Ndileka Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, said, “I was due to go and see him for two days and the next day when I went I missed my boat. So I was standing at the docks crying because I had missed my boat. And of course granddad generously reapplied so that I could go and see him and we went in during the week to go and visit him and it was really a bittersweet memory because that was the first instance that I had laid my eyes on this person, you know that I could put a face to this person who would write me these letters to me and talk about school and about how much he loved me and things like that.”

Then, one day, something happened which changed Christo Brand forever.

Ahmed Kathrada, former political activist, said, “There was one instance where one of Madiba’s daughters, I think, must have brought a baby. And on that occasion the warder relented in the visit and allowed him to hold the baby. And that made a tremendous impact on him. He couldn’t speak about it there because that warder would have been in trouble.”

Christo Brand, Former Prison Warden, said, “Winnie just pick up the baby and I said, Ma’am can I hold this baby for a second, I never touch a black child and she push it in my arms and say please Mr Brand please show my husband and she open her bag to pay me and I say no ma’am I can’t take money from you, I’m not allowed to show him the child, just go back in the visiting box, Mandela want to see you for one minute.”

“And when she is in the visiting box, I locked her in and Mandela passed his message on and I come through the middle door out. And when the warrant officer come and he said “darling I must go” and he see me in the passage, he walk straight to me and he come and he take the baby out of my arms and he kiss the baby twice on the cheek, he’s got some tears in his eyes, he was quite emotional at that time and then I take the baby back, Winnie knock on the door and I take the baby for Winnie and she is still begging me please Mr Brand, show Mandela the child. When she got to the mainland, she told the media, the press, that she have smokelled the baby to Robben Island but she have not been able to show Mandela in the distance. “