Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
Cape Town - The Robben Island Museum will mark this year as the year of late former PAC leader Robert Sobukwe for his role and contribution in the struggle for liberation.
Sobukwe, was 60 years ago, sent to Robben Island for an indefinite period after the apartheid government amended the law, which later became known as the Sobukwe Clause.
Sobukwe joins a generation of leaders who have been celebrated and honoured by the Robben Island Museum.
This includes late former president Nelson Mandela, struggle icons Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and many others.
This generation of leaders had served decades on Robben Island, leading to their release between 1989 and 1990.
This led to the negotiations between the apartheid regime and the former liberation movements, including the ANC.
Professor Saths Cooper, who is the chairperson of the Robben Island Museum, will launch the Year of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe on Wednesday in Cape Town.
Robben Island Museum said Sobukwe’s role in the struggle for freedom and democracy cannot be underestimated.
“Unlike other political prisoners already incarcerated at the island earlier in 1963, or the thousands who were subsequently jailed there until 1991, Sobukwe was imprisoned at Robben Island having already served his three year prison sentence for leading the anti-pass campaign on March 21,1960 in Orlando, Soweto, held alone without charge or trial.
“In order to keep Sobukwe a prisoner indefinitely, the apartheid regime amended the General Law Amendment Act 46 of 1935 on May 1, 1960 to empower the Minister of Justice to imprison any person for up to one year at a time. This became known as the Sobukwe clause, which only affected Sobukwe,” said the Robben Island Museum.
It added that lectures, seminars and other events not only mark the contribution of those who were incarcerated there, are also about what Robben Island has come to symbolise.
It said that while Robben Island was once seen as a place where people were sent to serve time, from colonial days, it has now become a symbol of hope.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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