When speaking about Robben Island, the name is often synonymous with Nelson Mandela and the struggle against the apartheid regime. However, on 31st March 2025, the Robben Island Museum hosted a tour and pre-conference on the island’s World War II history.

The museum houses various relics from different periods in history, including World War II-era guns. These stand as physical symbols of conflict and military history. The presentation centred on the role Robben Island played during World War II—although a moment of strategic importance, it is also regarded as one of the island’s most tragic periods.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, ultimately leading the world into its second global war. Back home in South Africa, allegiances were divided. The English supported the Allied forces, while many Afrikaners favoured the German cause or advocated for a neutral stance in the European conflict.

This division caused a split in the coalition government between J.B. Hertzog’s National Party and Jan Smuts’s South African Party. The Head of Defence, Oswald Pirow, was a staunch nationalist. He used rising tensions in the Northern Hemisphere as justification to strengthen South Africa’s military defences. Pirow identified Robben Island as a strategically positioned site at the entrance of Table Bay, making it an ideal location for a new military base. He subsequently declared the entire island military property.

Between 1936 and 1960, Robben Island played a significant role in South Africa’s military history. It was recognised as a fortified station and became home to a large number of armed forces, serving as a key military security post for the country.

Learning from history, the Robben Island Museum acknowledged that the cost of war extends far beyond the battlefield. Armed conflict has profound consequences on human lives, societies, economies, and the environment. Now, the museum seeks to promote peace by educating the next generation of visitors to Robben Island.South Africa’s Ambassador to Benin and Togo, Robina Marks, attended the event.

“Let me start off by saying that we live in a world characterised by an interplay between power, influence, vested interests, and the strategic expression of states through military means and economic power,” she said.

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Exploring Robben Island's hidden WWII history