NMC01876

To President Madiba, with gratitude from Jansie Niehaus

''Dear Comrade Madiba, I painted this picture in 1984 while serving my sentence in Pretoria Central, Women's Prison using a toothbrush and some feathers. Barbara Hogan then framed it with white cloth and the picture hung on our ''dining room'' wall in the political women's section for some years. I used a photograph of quarry workers (from some faraway country) - it reminded me of you, and the other comrades on the island,and of the hardship endured by the oppressed everywhere. The colours blue and white (which happen to be like the sea and lime stone at Robben Island) were the only paints available to me then.

I would be greatly honoured for you to have this little picture.

Yours
Signed by Jansie ''