Where the past and present meet

I recently visited Constitution Hill in Braamfontein and was struck by how easily it is to 'forget' the history of this country when we are so focused on the present and the daily grind of our lives.
So here's a little look at the highlights of the tour and a bit of information about what Constitution Hill is all about.

Constitution Hill is the site of Johannesburg's notorious Old Fort Prison Complex, commonly known as Number Four, "where thousands of ordinary people were brutally punished before the dawn of democracy in 1994," reads the tour brochure. Many of our political activists - Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi, Winnie Mandela and Barbara Hogan spent time there during the struggle years.
It is now home to the Constitutional Court - the protector of our basic rights and freedoms. A fitting place wouldn't you say?

Barbara Hogan, a political activist and now member of the current Government, was housed in the Women's Prison. Political prisoners were put together with criminals, although black and whites were obviously housed in separate cells.

Part of the wall in the Constitutional Court is made up from bricks from the demolished Awaiting Trial Block. The gaps between the bricks is said to allow the spirits of the past to be present as Constitutional rights are defended and upheld within the court.

Ex-prisoners were invited back to contribute to the process of remembering and reclaiming their dignity that they lost in Number Four. 

 

 

 

The Bill of Rights is portrayed at the entrance of the Constitutional Court, making use of all of the 11 official languages, as well as Sign Language and Braille.