The Robben Island Museum declared 2023/24 as the year of Robert Sobukwe. [Picture: The Daily Vox]
The historic Robben Island is a beacon of the African story. That is why the Robben Island Museum (RIM) decided to declare 2023 as the year of Robert Sobukwe.
Speaking in an interview on Salaamedia, chief heritage officer for the Robben Island Museum World Heritage Site. Tshimangadzo Nemaheni, said the island’s dual status as a South African heritage site and a world heritage site made it important to the whole world.
The decision to declare the year in the name of the anti-apartheid activist, he explained, was taken in order to honour his legacy and tell the world his story. It would influence the activities at the popular tourist site off the coast of Cape Town.
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Robert Sobukwe
As Nemaheni put it, the idea behind 2023 being Sobukwe’s year was influenced by the need to tell his story. The revolutionary and founding member of the Pan African Congress (PAC) was involved extensively in the struggle against apartheid.
“We chose Robert Sobukwe because his story is not much out there. As Robben Island, we decided that we need to be inclusive and make it a point that all those people that have fought for our freedom should be celebrated in one way or another and Robert Sobukwe is one of them.”
Sobukwe’s name is usually attached to the slogan ‘Izwe lethu’, meaning ‘The land is ours’. He was an Africanist and, as such, sceptical about the multiracial approach to the freedom struggle. He was involved in a range of activities, such as the anti-pass campaign in 1960.
Nemaheni said this was about making sure the stories of those who fought for freedom were not forgotten. It was about drawing lessons and cultivating their values.
“We don’t want to forget our struggle heroes. We have to learn where we come from, especially the values of Robert Sobukwe.He sacrificed a lot – he sacrificed his family, he sacrificed his own life for the sake of freedom.”
Sobukwe died from lung complications at a Kimberley hospital in 1978. The government had delayed urgent medical treatment by preventing him from leaving the diamond town, despite his ill health. He left behind a legacy of human rights advocacy, said Nemaheni.
