The Fort, the Constitutional Court and Prison No. 4

We visit and discuss in detail the Old Fort and "Number Four", the prison in which representatives of practically every political persuasion in our history, as well as common criminals, murderers, rebellion leaders, and innocent people have been incarcerated. Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, General de Wet, Winnie Mandela, Winston Churchill, Joe Slovo, the Foster gang, Daisy de Melker (the infamous murderess), Taffy Long, Stassen and many, many others were imprisoned here during the period 1902-1983.

We visit Nelson Mandela’s hospital ward. We see the Awaiting Trial Block and listen to the protest songs that were sung by the inmates. The cells, the solitary confinement cells, and the communal cells with their exhibits are visited and anecdotes told. We discuss living conditions in the prison. This is a look at the grim and cruel past of South Africa.

We then move into the present and the future. We visit the Constitution Court and discuss the role it plays in our society, it’s history and structure, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The building of the court is explained and the role of the Judges in designing the most progressive Court in the world. The structure and architectural aspects are explained and shown. Visitors are taken into the Courtroom and the room is explained. We also visit the Art exhibition as well as the special exhibition to Nelson Mandela.