Plans to convert former guard houses on Robben Island into tourist accommodation form part of a broader push by the Robben Island Museum (RIM) to expand sustainable tourism offerings, the institution has confirmed.
The museum said the project will repurpose deteriorating structures while preserving the site’s historical integrity, amid concerns that such developments could undermine its heritage value.
“Robben Island Museum wishes to distance itself from the view that the conversion of the deteriorating guard houses will undermine the universal value of the site," they said in a statement.
RIM said these houses, once symbols of surveillance and control within the apartheid prison system, will adaptively be reused to serve contemporary social, economic, and environmental objectives while preserving their historical integrity.
They said the conversion of the guards’ houses into accommodation supports economic sustainability by generating revenue that contributes to the Museum’s long-term financial viability.
“Income from overnight stays helps subsidise conservation work, educational programmes, and the ongoing maintenance of the World Heritage Site, reducing reliance on external funding sources. This approach ensures that heritage resources actively support their own preservation,” RIM said.
From a social sustainability perspective, the museum said the repurposing of these buildings contributes to inclusive heritage use.
“The accommodation provides space for researchers, educators, artists-in-residence, students, and staff who are engaged in heritage, memory work, and dialogue about democracy and human rights.
“In addition, this will provide a memorable experience to tourists who wish to stay on the island. In this way, structures associated with oppression are transformed into spaces of learning, reflection, and reconciliation, aligning with Robben Island’s broader mission of social justice and nation-building.”
Speaking to the CapeTowner, Mpho Masemola, the Secretary-General of the Ex-Political Prisoners Association (EPPA), said former inmates feel sidelined by the Robben Island Museum’s plans, despite prior agreements.
He alleged that a memorandum of understanding with the museum included provisions for former political prisoners to benefit from business opportunities on the Island, including a 30% share in certain transactions—commitments he says have not been honoured.
“There are people making business out of our sweat and pain, but there is no social responsibility and no clear plan to support former prisoners,” he said.
He raised concerns about the ongoing social and economic challenges faced by former prisoners, including the need for greater support, such as bursaries for their children.
He stressed that Robben Island should not be treated purely as a tourist destination, but as a site of “banishment, pain and suffering,” warning against what he views as the unchecked commercialisation of its historic spaces.
Mr Masemola said former prisoners should be meaningfully included in decisions about the Island’s future and even have access to the repurposed facilities.
“We are entitled to go back, to stay in those rooms, to reflect, to write books, and to bring our families,” he said. “You can’t commercialise Robben Island without involving those who were incarcerated.”
The museum maintains that the project reflects a broader effort to balance preservation with progress, arguing that repurposing the guards’ houses allows the site to remain both historically significant and economically sustainable.
It adds that all required permits have been secured and that stakeholder consultations were conducted in line with regulatory requirements.
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