Gustav Thiel
The avalanche of sightseers and tourists wanting to visit Robben Island could result in permanent damage to the marine environment on the island.
This warning comes from the island’s temporary administrator, Professor Andre Odendaal, and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront’s harbour master Bill Shewell. Odendaal said he was working on a tight schedule to ensure that proper structures were put in place to accommodate the requests from the many visitors wanting to visit the prison where President Nelson Mandela spent 27 years, and where thousands of other political prisoners were kept.
Visitors have been queuing at the Waterfont booking office early every morning, but numbers are currently restricted to 290 a day. Odendaal stressed that this could only be increased once proper structures were in place.
Island authorities blockaded the entrance to the island last weekend after four privately operated charter boats defied regulations and allowed an estimated 200 passengers to go ashore. Officials of the Arts and Culture Ministry used buses and taxis to block the entrance to the island village.
Odendaal said this week that a naval vessel with two personnel was used to prevent further transgressions. According to Odendaal, negotiations are continuing with the police to establish a station on the island to ensure permanent and proper control.
He took over the temporary administration of the island on January 1. He was appointed by the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, which assumed controlling authority of the island from the Department of Correctional Services.
Robben Island is to be run as a site museum, where the total environment is conserved in an integrated way. The prison will be converted into a museum of the freedom struggle in South Africa.Odendaal said initial problems with private boat companies seem to have been resolved after several parties, including the head of the ex-Political Prisoners Committee, Ahmed Kathrada, came out strongly against transgressions on the island.
In a letter to Odendaal, Shewell expressed his outrage at the actions of the private boat owners last weekend and added that the Waterfront would do “everything in its power to prevent similar actions”.
Boat Owners’ and Charter Association chairman Bruce See said earlier in the week that he was seeking legal advice about the way the government allegedly interfered with private enterprise by preventing more people from visiting the island.
Oddendaal said it is “out of the question” that more visitors could be allowed. He added, however, that when the numbers were eventually increased all ferries operating to the island would be under the control of the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. “Our main concern at this stage is to prevent damage to the environment because the establishment of the museum is a long-term project. “Robben Island is a very sensitive area with a large penguin colony and a propensity for bush fires. If the area is disturbed in any way the marine environment could face permanent damage,” said Odendaal.
Shewell said the Waterfront did not want to involve itself further with the running of island ferries. He did, however, express concern over the time-frame in which Odendaal had to complete his task. “I think they have performed wonders since New Year’s day, but they are working under tremendous strain.Can you imagine the enormous damage done to the environment if 5 000 people a day are dumped on the island. This is a real possibility if the structures in place now allow that situation to develop.”
Negotiations on the future of the historic departure point on Jetty 1 in the Table Bay harbour situated next to the Waterfront shopping complex were still continuing, according to Shewell. Odendaal disagrees and says all parties concerned have agreed that the site will be preserved in its current state. Marine manager of Portnet John Cosnett said this week that the future of the site was not yet secure.
“I know that there are several issues still under discussion. We control a large part of Jetty 1 and have made presentations to build another storey on top of the building at the point of departure for ferries to the island. To my knowledge these negotiations are still continuing,” said Cosnett.
Kathrada and other ex-prisoners have, in the past, supported the preservation of the site in its current form, but was this week not willing to comment on the issue.