Behind the Mask and Few are located in the old Women’s Jail which itself is situated in the former prison complex in Johannesburg known as the Old Fort Prison Complex. The complex consisted of the Old Fort, the Women’s jail, the men’s jail which consisted of a white area and the infamous men’s jail known as Number Four.
“the place where thousands of black men were imprisoned and brutalised but it was also the place were many learned to survive and defy their jailers. Many of the prisoners were guilty of non-political crimes. But many fell foul of race laws or were guilty of resisting these laws”.
Gandhi and Robert Sobukwe who founded the PAC were imprisoned here.
The photos in the collage are from Number Four and MORE PHOTOS UP AT FLICKR
TAUSER was the process of forcing black prisoners to strip naked, jump in the air in a scissor like move which would expose all parts of their bodies including the rectum. It was done in the open yard in front of all the other prisoners and the guards to check the prisoners were not hiding anything. Once political prisoners started entering the jail they began a protest to end the TAUSER.
The isolation units for non-whites were just wide enough to stretch your hands from wall to wall. No beds, blankets or toilet facilities were provided and prisoners ate water and rice and were locked up for 23 hours a day. You were supposed to go for just a few days but many ended up staying for months on end. The whole regime was based on punishment and torture was routinely carried out. Prisoners were divided into white and non-white in terms of diet, clothing, blankets, mats and so on. The communal quarters were built to hold 30 men but generally between 60-80 men. The open latrines were next to the open space were food was served and the men had to suffer the humiliation of having guards stand over them whilst they were on the toilet.
Words are difficult to describe this place but this quote from Alex La Guma who was a political prisoner in 1953 pretty much sums up the place.
“One of the reasons for my disease (typhoid) is found in this jail, filth. The mats are filthy, the blankets are filthy, the latrines are filthy, the food is filthy, the utensils are filthy, the convicts clothes are filthy. The latrines over flow and make a stench” – Alex la Guma political prisoner 1953”
“Those prominent prisoners and victims have been helped but what about the thousands of ordinary people who suffered? They have not received any help or support”
Tags: South Africa Apartheid Prison
