Robben Island's silent party is over

Cape Town - Described as an insult that tramples on the legacy of Struggle stalwarts who gave their lives for the freedoms that all South Africans enjoy today, Silent Events SA has been forced to cancel its for-profit silent disco on Robben Island following negative backlash.

The collaboration event between Robben Island Museum (RIM) and Silent Events SA was set to be hosted on February 18, with tickets sold in two categories, “early bird” and “jail bird” between R750 and R850.

Social media was abuzz with commentary on the “unique, exclusive, experience” which was to host three DJs in an interactive and immersive headphone experience – which has gained popularity in the local music industry.

Event organisers claimed “a large percentage of the profits” would have been gifted to an indigenous tree planting programme.

The event advertisement detailed what patrons could look forward to which included three DJs, Mafaku, Dinomoran and DJ West with a “fun ferry-ride (both ways), the bus transfer across the island and an absolutely unforgettable party in this the rarest of venues.”

“We arrive at the island harbour in a festive mood and are bussed across to the viewpoint site at the most Southern tip of the island, past the world-famous prison and ex-leper lodgings to a spot with the best view of Table Mountain and Cape Town that you’ll ever see (weather permitting).

“If the wind is pumping that evening we have an alternative venue arranged at the Old Convict Prison Yard.

“Not where Nelson Mandela & the political prisoners were kept, a different section, but tall walls, no view, but no wind & a real bad a** vibe,” the advertisement on the ticket sales platform read.

In 2018, RIM was mired in a squabble over the auctioning of Nelson Mandela’s iconic prison cell. This was after the CEO SleepOut had published details of the auction on its website, stating “Robben Island Room Bid”, a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sleep in Madiba’s personal prison cell number 7 will be auctioned off for the night with bids opening at $250 000.” That event was withdrawn.

Meanwhile, former political Prisoners Association (EPPA) secretary-general, Mpho Masemola, said the organisation was unaware of the planned disco and did not support the jol as part of their projects.

“The EPPA will not support anything that is not part of our heritage and legacy projects. I don’t know anything about silent concerts, silent for what?

“Robben Island is a sacred place and a beacon of the liberation Struggle not for populist capitalist agendas ... Robben Island is not for commercial activities, according to the World Heritage Act.

“We have not been consulted about this; the question is who are the beneficiaries of the concert because ex-political prisoners have dependants who are unemployed? The EPPA in their memorandum highlighted that no commercial activities will take place on Robben Island. Unless someone or unscrupulous people are trying to trample on our sweat and suffering,” said Masemola.

South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) Built Environment Unit manager, Ben Mwasinga, said they were made aware of the planned event.

“However, we have not as yet engaged RIM and will be speaking with them early this week. We do, however, understand the sensitivity around the site and the planned concert. As we do not have first-hand information from RIM, we cannot comment on the planned outcome of our discussion...

With that said we are aware that two years of closure during the (Covid-19 pandemic) lockdown has severely affected Robben Island’s financial sustainability as tours form a large portion of their income,” said Mwasinga.

Silent Events SA's Matt Roberts said: “It was to be with the accepted provision that it would have no negative impact on the sensitive ecology of the island, be mindful of the respect that the history of the island deserves and that a large percentage of the profits would be gifted to its indigenous tree planting programme.

The concept of the event, as suggested by RIM, was to promote a positive future perception of the island: a diversely attended celebration of racial unity and freedom which would produce funds for the ecologic work that is sorely needed there.

“This event was planned in good faith, with the aim of bringing people together and we thought that the initiative would be recognised with this intention. We have seen, heard and understood many reactions to the contrary and so, Silent Events SA has decided to cancel the event and apologise for any offence that the idea may have caused,” said Roberts.

RIM CEO Abigail Thulare, however, said the event was postponed until further notice “to give sufficient time to engage all relevant stakeholders”.

“While the RIM is redeveloping its business model to ensure a more agile, responsive and relevant entity in a post-Covid society, repurposing infrastructure must not and will not be done in a way that detracts from the museum’s core mandate or in a manner that disrespects the legacy of those who gave their lives for South Africa’s liberation Struggle.

“Furthermore, it is important to mention that RIM does host an array of events on the island, from corporate, cultural, (cleansing ceremony) educational and sleepovers, (spring school) using the infrastructure that exists as a way of repurposing the island and most importantly creating access to more South Africans.

RIM constantly looks for opportunities to make the island more accessible to South Africans and those from far beyond our borders and wishes to assure South Africans this will be done in a manner that does not undermine its historical and heritage significance,” said Thulare.

Cape Times