History made as LGBTIQ+ Pride comes to Robben Island (Photos)
mambaonline.comFor the first time, the rainbow flag has been flown on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. On Wednesday 25 May, which is marked as Africa Day, almost 200 LGBTIQ+ activists from across southern Africa braved cold and foggy weather to travel to the infamous landmark, located just off the coast of Cape Town.
Organised by The Other Foundation as part of its 2022 Kopano LGBTIQ+ gathering in the city, the activists held a Pride March from Murray’s Harbour to the flagpoles near the entrance of the former prison.
There they were greeted by the Robben Island Museum’s enthusiastic Marketing and Tourism Senior Manager Siphuxolo Mazwi. “The queer community is welcome on Robben Island,” Mazwi said, adding that she hopes that the Pride will become an annual event.
The rainbow flag was then raised by Virginia Magwaza Wenjini, founder of Parents, Families & Friends of South African Queers (PFSAQ).
