The National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, together with the Association for Ex-Political Prisoners (AEPP) and the Robben Island Museum, will host a Reunion of Ex-Political Prisoners on 27 September at Robben Island. The event, themed “Reuniting with Robben Island as the Stronghold that Fortified Our Resistance to Achieve Our Freedom,” aims to honour the bravery and sacrifice of those imprisoned during South Africa’s liberation struggle.

Announcing the gathering, the department stated its intent to “honour the legacy of resistance” embodied by those who endured incarceration on Robben Island. According to the official statement, the event will pay tribute to “brave, courageous and selfless combatants who put their lives on the line for the attainment of South Africa’s freedom and democracy.” The reunion seeks to reconnect national consciousness with the lived experiences of those imprisoned in the name of justice and equality.

South Africa’s history of political imprisonment, with Robben Island at its centre, stands as a reminder of the costs involved in securing liberty. Continued commemoration serves both as an act of remembrance and as a call to defend and extend the freedoms for which many sacrificed. In a society still shaped by inequality and institutional failure, the values of personal agency, sacrifice, and moral courage remain as relevant as ever.

Unless these foundational values are actively reaffirmed, the cost of inaction will be measured in lost dignity and eroded freedom. Through this lens, only a nation that honours its defenders of liberty can truly deserve the fruits of democracy.