Permit - 373737

The following application pertains to the proposed Maintenance Management Plan for the Robben Island Museum and associated maintenance works, Western Cape, 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:

Robben Island has three sites of religious significance and these include the Kramat, the Garrison Church and the Church of the Good Shepherd. The Kramat building was built over the grave of Hadje Mattarm in 1967, an early political prisoner during the Dutch colonial period, while the Garrison Church and the Church of the Good Shepherd which were both originally Anglican churches, were constructed in 1841 and 1895 respectively. The Church of the Good Shepherd was designed by renowned architect, Sir Herbert Baker and is surrounded by graves of lepers who died on the island during the period of leper occupation. 

The religious buildings of the island has has high aesthetic, architectural, historical, social and spiritual significance. The Kramat has a distinctive architectural aesthetic connecting it to other kramats, in the Circle of Tombs around the Cape. The Garrison Church has distinct Cape vernacular style architecture relating to the islands early history. The Church of the Good Shepherd has a typical architectural style of Anglican churches of its period, constructed out of stone excavated on the island. The religious buildings has no known scientific and technological significance but has spiritual and linguistic significance symbolic of the diverse spiritual life and practices of the island and South Africa which shows the social and historical evolution of South Africa. 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 Religious Buildings with the following building reference numbers: BB078 –B079, B347, B149. The following supporting documents were reviewed in assessing this application:

• 01 RIM MMP_Heritage Report_Rev 7.pdf
• 02 Appendix A_RIM Map.pdf
• 03 Appendix B_RIM MMP Condition Assessment Report_ Rev B July 2024.pdf
• 04 Grouping 4_Corrective Maintenance.xlsx
• 05 Appendix B_RIM MMP TERMS OF REFERENCE.pdf
• 06 Appendix C_Public Consultation Report.pdf
• 07 Appendix D_Grouping 4 Photographic Documentation.pdf
• Preventative Maintenance_Group 4.xlsx
• RIM MMP_Broll letter of authority.pdf
• Garrison .JPG
• Garrison.JPG
• Good Sheperd.JPG
• kramat (2).JPG
• kramat (3).JPG
• kramat.JPG