New era dawns at prison
2008-06-19
A NEW era is dawning at Drakenstein correctional facility, with a new chief at its helm, the unveiling of the long awaited statue of Nelson Mandela and the imminent conversion of Madiba House into a museum. On his first official day in office at this correctional facility between Paarl and Franschhoek, Jeremy Matthyse took time off his busy schedule to contemplate his future at this world renowned prison. Born and bred in Paarl, Matthyse’s career had humble beginnings 26 years ago, when he left school in Grade 11 and joined Allandale Correctional Services as a prison warden. But he had big ambitions and through the department completed matric and went on to earn various legal degrees. He is currently busy with a master’ degree in Labour Law which he soon hopes to complete. “I have always had a passion for knowledge and I consider myself an eternal student. Education is the key to our future and with this we can all reach our dreams. “It is now a great privilege for me to be head of Drakenstein Correctional Services and look forward to taking it to new heights.” Matthyse is looking forward to another historical day next month, when the statue of Nelson Mandela will be unveiled at the entrance to the facility. The former president spent the last 18 months of his famous imprisonment at this prison, which was then known as Victor Verster. Due to the political sensitivity of the time, and important negotiations between himself and the then government led by FW de Klerk, Mandela’s prison was not in a cell, but a lavish house situated at the far northern end of the large property. Since Mandela’s release on 11 February 1990, the house has been standing vacant and is only opened for selected visitors, and more recently for various film and documentary shoots. This historical house where much of today’s future was negotiated, will shortly be handed over to the Department of Arts and Culture which will restore the home to the exact condition which it was in when Mandela was jailed here. “We have located most of the original furniture which was in the house,” said Matthyse. “The idea is to turn it into a museum which will be open to the public. Drakenstein has been accommodating many tourists in the past who have wanted to see this house. It is obviously a very important landmark of our history. “But we feel that it must be handed over to another department which can specialise in utilising the house to its full extent as a tourist attraction.” Mandela so loved this house, that shortly after his release, he built an exact replica thereof in the Eastern Cape. During his stay here, he spent most of his time working in his study or walking in the garden. “It is a well-known fact that Madiba is a man of stringent habit. During his stay, no routine was forced upon him, but he had his own strict routine each day which he stuck to. “There are however remnants of the previous regime in the house, with wires for the listening devices still visible in the cupboards, as well as holes for spy cameras. Although Mandela was able to have free range of the house, as well as many visitors, a hawk-eye was kept on his every movement. On 14 July, the statue of Mandela will be unveiled at the prison. Madiba House will soon be open to all, as a national monument to a great man.
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