Constitution Hill (ConHill) is a World Heritage Site based in Johannesburg.
It is a former prison where South Africa’s first democratic president, Nelson Mandela, was held for fighting for the liberation of the people of this country.
Journey with me as I reveal the behind the scenes of this important part of South Africa’s history…
The site is enormous - 95,000 square meters - and has a parking basement that can hold up to 2,000 vehicles.
As you walk through ConHill, the sounds of emotionally-charged struggle songs play from speakers, filling your ears. The songs help set the tone for the day and evoke all sorts of emotions; a sense of Ubuntu, unity and pride, making you feel like an authentic African.
Before the tour started, I was fortunate to be taken to the Old Fort Prison complex, where Mandela was kept in December 1956 following his arrest for treason. He was later released after being found not guilty. In August 1962, he returned. Though he was not sick, Mandela was kept in a sickbed as authorities suspected he was planning to escape. He was the only black person held at the Old Fort Prison. A bed, radio, drawer and loads of Mandela’s old letters are on display in the cell.
After leaving the Old Fort Prison complex, I was taken on the regular tour of ConHill, which takes an hour in total.
The first stop on the tour was a room where visitors watch a promotional video about ConHill.
The next stop was the famous Number Four cell. This is where people of colour were kept under gruesome conditions.
Although the cell was built to hold 50 people, 200 people would be kept in the room in very appalling conditions. The prisoners shared one toilet, which was placed in the same room in an open space. This meant that one would use the toilet in full view of others.
The prisoners were given two thin sleeping mats and three blankets. White prisoners in other cells were given two sleeping mats, a mattress, a pillow, three blankets, four sheets, two pillowcases and a bedspread.
The next stop on the tour was a room with images of former prisoners. The primary purpose of this part of the tour was to show that 80% of people who were arrested were put in jail not because they had committed any crime, but because of the colour of their skin.
We then headed to the fourth stop of the tour, where prisoners used to shower and eat.
I must say, this space made me feel sick. You have to experience it for yourself to understand the extent of cruelty the prisoners faced.
One of the most disturbing experiences was when we saw how people of colour were fed.
They had to eat on dirty plates washed once every few months. They were mostly fed Puzamandhla, a powder made from mealies that also contained a chemical that made the prisoners infertile. White prisoners were not given the drink. They were fed bread, vegetables and different types of meat. People of colour, on the other hand, were not allowed to have meat. Later, when meat was introduced, they would be fed rotten meat.
On Christmas, white prisoners could have cake while people of colour were treated to one pint of coffee or tea with about one tablespoon of sugar.
This is where one sees the extent of the brutality many of our forefathers and struggle heroes endured to ensure the country attained its freedom.
The next stop on the tour was the isolation cells. These are cells where a prisoner would be left alone without access to light. There were no toilets in the cell and they had to use a bucket. They were also starved. The prisoners would only be fed rice water - the starch water one drains after boiling rice.
This led to some of them losing their minds and others even dying.
The next stop on the tour was the Mandela Gandhi exhibition, an interesting section that shows how Mandela and Gandhi were believed to have similar ideologies.
Up next was the Constitutional Court. The court is a beacon of hope, showing what determination and resilience can achieve.
The court’s door has the 27 rights of the Bill of Rights carved into it.
The court is built using the bricks taken from the prison before it was demolished. The decision to use the bricks was inspired by the thought that the same bricks that were used to trample upon human rights are now used to free them.
Right in front of the court is the Flame of Democracy. Mandela ignited the flame on 9 December 2011 to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the signing of the South African Constitution.
The court's theme is ‘Justice Under A Tree’. This is significant because trees were used as meeting places for village assemblies, court cases and village leaders' meetings. The glass doors are also for transparency.
There is an art gallery in the court premises.
The overall feeling of the experience
This is a place where you can reflect upon what it took to attain the freedom that South Africa now enjoys.
Today, what was once a place of injustice and oppression has become a testament to the strength and power of the human race.
This is a must-visit for anyone who lives in South Africa and tourists who want to experience the country's history.
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