Support statement by Sanet Steenkamp, minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture of the Republic of Namibia, at the Second Reunion of Political Ex-Prisoners, Robben Island, South Africa, 27 September 2025
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It is with deep humility and profound honour that I stand before you today, on this historic occasion of the reunion of Robben Island ex-prisoners from Namibia and South Africa. On behalf of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, president of the Republic of Namibia, I convey warm greetings and heartfelt solidarity to all present on this momentous occasion.
Today, we gather not merely to remember, but to affirm the living history of our two nations, a history written not in comfort, but forged in the crucible of struggle, sacrifice, and unyielding courage.
Robben Island was more than just a prison. It was a school of resilience, a sanctuary of principles, and a beacon of hope for oppressed peoples across Southern Africa.
The brave men and women who endured its walls carried not only the pain of imprisonment, but also the hopes and aspirations of millions longing to breathe free.
From South Africa’s leaders such as Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Govan Mbeki, to Namibia’s gallant sons such as Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, Robben Island was home to those who chose sacrifice over submission, principle over privilege, and freedom over fear.
It was Toivo ya Toivo who, with unyielding defiance, declared to the apartheid authorities: “We are Namibians and not South Africans. We do not now, and will not in the future, recognise your right to govern us, to make laws for us in which we have no say, and to treat our country as if it were your property – and we its chattels.”
This profound declaration crystallised the determination of a people resolved to be free and affirmed that our struggle was not only against oppression, but for the dignity of nationhood.
Today, we are deeply honoured to be in the presence of living bearers of this history, Namibian sons who endured Robben Island: Marten Kapewasha, Sakaria Nashandi, Nabot Ilmene, Ulenga Benjamin Ulenga, Willem Biwa, Risto Tulipohamba Nakanyala, Jeremias Ekandjo, Helao Shityuwete, Jacob Nghidinwa, Betuel Nuuyango, and many others whose contributions remain etched in our collective memory.
Your lives remain a living testimony of resilience and sacrifice. We salute these gallant sons and daughters who stood tall when it was neither popular nor safe to do so, when speaking out meant imprisonment, persecution, or even death. You chose principle over fear, because what you believed in was just. That moral courage must never be taken for granted; it is the foundation upon which our freedom rests.
As Namibians, we hold eternal gratitude for the solidarity shared by the people of South Africa during our struggle against apartheid and colonialism. Robben Island stands both as a painful reminder of oppression and as a powerful symbol of resilience. Its legacy is a shared heritage of courage, solidarity, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
The years endured on the island were not lost; they were years that shaped our nations and inspired generations. Robben Island was transformed from a site of incarceration into a crucible of intellectual and political resistance. The debates, songs, and solidarity within its walls deepened our collective resolve to challenge the tyrannies that sought to keep us in bondage.
To the Robben Island ex-political prisoners, as we gather here in this spirit of unity, we pay tribute not only to your suffering but to your unbroken will and the ideals for which you stood – freedom, equality, dignity, and humanity. These ideals must continue to guide us as we confront the contemporary challenges of inequality and injustice in our societies.
As minister entrusted with education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture, I reaffirm our solemn responsibility to keep alive the memory of your struggle. We must ensure that our schools teach it, our cultural institutions preserve it, and our youth draw inspiration from it. The sports, songs, and creativity that sustained you in prison must now continue to unite and uplift our people.
Moreover, your role in guiding present and future generations remains vital. Your voices remind us that freedom comes with responsibility, to build just, inclusive, and prosperous societies worthy of the sacrifices you made.
This reunion is not merely about remembrance of the past; it is also a call to the present and the future. The solidarity that bound Namibians and South Africans on Robben Island must continue to inspire us as we face today’s shared challenges of development, innovation, and inclusive growth.
On behalf of the government and the people of Namibia, I convey our deepest gratitude, respect, and admiration to the Robben Island veterans and their families. Your courage carved the path on which we now walk.
May this gathering renew our collective resolve to safeguard freedom and advance the just and united societies you envisioned, even within prison walls.
As I conclude, allow me to extend a special word of appreciation to Gayton McKenzie. Through your leadership and the unwavering support of your government, this moment of remembrance and reunion has been made possible. Your commitment to preserving history, uplifting the voices of former political prisoners, and fostering unity between our nations stands as evidence to the enduring solidarity that has always bound Namibia and South Africa together.We do not take lightly the effort, vision, and diplomacy required to bring us together on this historic ground. Namibia salutes your government and thanks you personally, minister, for ensuring that the legacy of those who sacrificed for freedom will never be forgotten, but will instead inspire generations to come.
