Permit - 373723

The following application pertains to the proposed Maintenance Management Plan for the Robben Island Museum and associated maintenance works, located on Robben Island, farm nr. 1436, within the jurisdiction of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, Western Cape Province in accordance with Section 27(18) of the National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 of 1999. Robben Island has a long history in South Africa as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. The island has history from the precolonial era, the earliest travellers to South Africa, the Dutch occupation period, the British occupation period, the military period, apartheid period and currently as a museum, National Heritage Site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Overview of Content:

The harbour precinct was originally constructed in the 1940’s by the South African Army Engineering Corp during the Second World War and is named after John Murray, a Scotsman who established a whaling station at it. Previously the Faure Jetty was the main landing point at the island. The harbour was further upgraded in the 1960’s to function as an apartheid state prison to include a visitor’s centre which includes the now infamous gateway building. The harbour now functions as the landing point and gateway to the island which includes visitors’ facilities, a shop and ablutions.

The statement of significance indicates that the harbour is part of the Island's World War Two infrastructure and functioning as a fortified army outpost. It served as a gateway and threshold to the island and has become symbolic of the island and it is at the harbour that visitors and inmates were separated. For the political prisoners incarcerated on the island, the harbour was a point of separation from the "outside world" whereas for visitors it was the only point of limited access to island and the prisoners. The harbours holds no scientific and technological significance, nor does it have any no known spiritual and linguistic significance. The proposed activities aligns with the statutory provisions intended to protect and conserve South Africa's national heritage resources.

The purpose of this application is for the proposed Maintenance Management Plan for the Robben Island Museum and associated maintenance works on the Murray's Bay Harbour Precinct with the following building reference numbers: B001 – B003, B006 – B010, B013 – B016, B019, S024 – S028, S037, S043 – S046. The following supporting documents were reviewed in assessing this application:

• 01 RIM MMP_Heritage Report_Rev 7.pdf
• Appendix A_RIM Map.pdf
• Appendix B_RIM MMP Condition Assessment Report_ Rev B July 2024.pdf
• Grouping 1_Corrective Maintenance.xlsx
• Appendix B_RIM MMP TERMS OF REFERENCE.pdf
• Appendix C_Public Consultation Report.pdf
• Appendix D_Grouping 1.pdf
• Preventative Maintenance_Group 1.xlsx
• RIM MMP_Broll letter of authority.pdf
• entrance.JPG
• IMG_5486.JPG
• IMG_5487.JPG
• IMG_5658.JPG
• visitors centre (2).JPG
• visitors centre.JPG