Constitutional Hill

One of our first visits in Johannesburg was to Constitutional Hill. This hill in the middle of the city was the site of a fort to defend the city from the British. This soon became a prison for criminals and then a prison of humiliation for Blacks, Coloreds, Indians, non-whites and white activists. The blacks were kept in area four which was packed with those that were arrested for not having a domas (pass) were caught with a white person, were active against the government or were in violation of one of the many laws passed to "contain" the non-white population.   

The prison, as mentioned above, was built to hold hardened criminals and also humiliate those that violated the rules of the white South African government. Prisoners included Nelson Mandela (who was held at one time in the white section so as not to incite the black prisoners), Mahatma Gandhi, and Robert Sobukwe.   Section 4 which was the non-white area (a small section no bigger than a football field) at one time held 300,000 prisoners.
     The prisoners at Constitution Hill were subject to hard labor and terrible conditions - unsanitary, overcrowded, the prisoners were forced to do the Tauza dance - a naked dance to show the guards they were not hiding anything.  In a form of solidarity the prisoners, while working hard labor,  would sing a song named Shosholoza- pushed like a train-to tell their story.
    The prison was closed in 1983. A Constitutional court was built on the area where the prison stood using the bricks from the prison. The architecture of the building is very symbolic-the doors are tall and made of dark wood and engraved with various symbols and sayings, the roof has special glass to allow light to come in streams like through leaves, and the court itself has a very open setting.  All of this is to allow for a transparent, inclusive, open, peaceful setting "like sitting under a tree  in a setting of peace, reflection and tranquility".
   This tour along with the Robbed Island prison opened my eyes on so much of the suffering experienced by those who were segregated and the heroes of change like Nelson Mandela who spent close to 35 years of his life in jail for trying to uphold the rights of his people. The torture and violations of human dignity and rights is overwhelming and to think apartheid just ended some 15 years ago.