Stone Ranger: Constitution Hill

Kasey and I visited Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on 9 Nov, which was both very interesting and very emotional. In the 19^th Century the hill was the site of the original Johannesburg Gaol, and during the Anglo Boer War, Paul Kruger turned the gaol into a fort as part of the defences of Johannesburg by having the prisoners build a rampart wall and bastions around it. After the war it continued to be a gaol and over the years was expanded outside the fort walls to include a larger but separate men’s and women’s prison. The prison was in use until 1983. The Women’s prison was particularly well presented, especially considering that many of the buildings have been refurbished and added to for use by the equal rights office.

Coming from Australia, prisons and the type of conditions that convicts were kept in is fairly familiar to us all. However the conditions and treatment meted out to the prisoners on Constitution Hill up until 1983 equates to that of early to mid 19^th Century Australia. Food for thought! The other thing that struck me was some of the offences that people were incarcerated for. Obviously there were the usual criminal offences that any nation punishes, but also there were a whole range of anti-apartheid political offences as well. Some of these could be as basic as falling in love, and sleeping with, someone not of your own race group. It is a sobering thought while walking around that if Anna and I had been in our relationship 25 years ago, then both of us could have ended up in prison as we were breaking the law at the time!

Subsequent to full democracy, the RSA government has built the Constitutional Court on the Hill, immediately adjacent to the fort and prisons. It is appropriate and poignant that the court which looks after the constitution and therefore the civil rights of all South African citizens is located in a place where so many civil rights were violated. It reinforces what a great country and positive future the Republic of South Africa has, in that they can move forward positively without placing blame, but not forgetting the past.

The block 4/5 Men's Prison showers, with part of the cell block in the background. These were the latest 'refurbished' cells which had high set windows for ventilation.

The inside of one of the Block 4/5 communal cells. These cells had a mixture of criminal and political prisoners. At the far end were the 'cell bosses' who were generally members of a prison gang and preyed on the other prisoners. The cordoned their area off with a blanket wall. The newer or non influential prisoners were on the left and they were called sardines as they slept head to foot side by side. On the right near the blanket wall were other senior prisoners who had some standing and the two bodies to the right (closest) were the junior prisoners who looked after the toilet, and held blankets up for the privacy of the 'cell bosses'. A cell like this would hold up to 50 prisoners.

The communal toilet in the cell. Earlier eras had buckets only.

The prisoners dining area (the benches are for modern tourists). There were no tables and chairs, the prisoners used to squat and eat off the ground, facing the communal toilet in the background, which was slightly higher in elevation. Often raw sewerage used to run through the dining area. Remember this was the 1970s/80s.

You can't see it in this picture, but this sign board and photographs show how the prisoners were strip searched at the end of each work day, including internal examinations. These two photographs were taken by a journalist from a building adjacent to the prison.

The building where the photos shown above were taken from which was an old hospital (top right window). I believe that the publishing of these photos was one of the catalysts for change and the eventual closure of the prison.

The remains of the communal showers, which had four outlets that only ran for 30 min a day for up to 1500 prisoners. Many ended up not showering for weeks.

Sundays were a 'rest day' and one of the ways that prisoners kept themselves amused was to make non permanent 'sculptures' out of the prison blankets. The guards would judge the best sculptures and the winning cell was allowed some sort of privileges for the next week.