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Mandela's jail warden tells how a man he saw as a terrorist became a 'brother' Mandela's jail warden tells how a man he saw as a terrorist became a 'brother'
(about 1 hour later)
In a worn album he keeps in a dark wooden cabinet, the former prison warden Jack Swart has photos of himself shaking hands with two men who defined modern South Africa. In one is Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid. In the other is Nelson Mandela, whose decades of struggle helped bring down brutal white minority rule. In a worn album he keeps in a dark wooden cabinet, Jack Swart, a former prison warden, has photos of himself shaking hands with two men who defined modern South Africa. In one is Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid. In the other is Nelson Mandela, whose decades of struggle helped bring down brutal white minority rule.
"Not many people can say they shook hands with both of them," said Swart, pointing at a black-and-white shot of himself aged 18, blond-haired and smiling as he collected a school prize from Verwoerd, whose elaborate theories on racial "apartness" formed the blueprint for apartheid. "Not many people can say they shook hands with both of them," says Swart, pointing at a black-and-white shot of himself aged 18, blond-haired and smiling as he collected a school prize from Verwoerd, whose elaborate theories on racial "apartness" formed the blueprint for apartheid.
Twenty-five years later, captured in polaroid technicolour, a beaming Swart is standing with Mandela just after his historic speech to an ecstatic crowd in Cape Town marked the end of 27 years in jail.Twenty-five years later, captured in polaroid technicolour, a beaming Swart is standing with Mandela just after his historic speech to an ecstatic crowd in Cape Town marked the end of 27 years in jail.
As thousands rode free trains into Cape Town city centre once again to pay tribute at an official memorial, his former jailer lit a candle in the privacy of his home for the man he came to see as "a brother".As thousands rode free trains into Cape Town city centre once again to pay tribute at an official memorial, his former jailer lit a candle in the privacy of his home for the man he came to see as "a brother".
In 1988, when he was told he had been assigned to cook for Mandela at the former Victor Verster prison – where the anti-apartheid icon spent the final three years of his term – Swart was not happyIn 1988, when he was told he had been assigned to cook for Mandela at the former Victor Verster prison – where the anti-apartheid icon spent the final three years of his term – Swart was not happy
He says this meant leaving his position working for higher-qualified officers in the notorious Robben Island. "My first question was to ask my commissioner how long the post would last for," recalls the moustachioed 66-year-old.He says this meant leaving his position working for higher-qualified officers in the notorious Robben Island. "My first question was to ask my commissioner how long the post would last for," recalls the moustachioed 66-year-old.
Born and raised in the Transvaal, the stronghold of white Afrikaner nationalism, Swart first met Mandela as a warden in Robben Island in 1964. Then, he considered him simply a terrorist. "That's what we called [all the ANC's] high-profile political prisoners," he says.Born and raised in the Transvaal, the stronghold of white Afrikaner nationalism, Swart first met Mandela as a warden in Robben Island in 1964. Then, he considered him simply a terrorist. "That's what we called [all the ANC's] high-profile political prisoners," he says.
"But even then you could see that Mandela was a leader. He would step in when there were disagreements, that kind of thing.""But even then you could see that Mandela was a leader. He would step in when there were disagreements, that kind of thing."
Once, as Swart roughly drove a lorry packed with prisoners to lime quarries where they were forced to spend mind-numbing hours breaking rocks, Mandela knocked on the window. "He said, what the hell do you think we are, bags of mealie?"Once, as Swart roughly drove a lorry packed with prisoners to lime quarries where they were forced to spend mind-numbing hours breaking rocks, Mandela knocked on the window. "He said, what the hell do you think we are, bags of mealie?"
Remembering the incident when they were thrown together two decades later at Victor Verster, Mandela quipped: "Well I hope you are a better cook than driver," Swart recalls, smiling.Remembering the incident when they were thrown together two decades later at Victor Verster, Mandela quipped: "Well I hope you are a better cook than driver," Swart recalls, smiling.
Tall and poised, with a shock of white hair, Swart has aged well. His hands tremble only once – when he opens the album – and his voice breaks only once, when I ask him how he is feeling about Mandela's death. "It's better he's at peace," he says. His hands tremble only once, when he opens the album, and his voice breaks only once, when I ask him how he is feeling about Mandela's death. "It's better he's at peace," he says.
His bungalow in a quiet Cape Town suburb is filled with mementos of the man whose quiet dignity won him over. In a cluttered dining room is a framed picture of him having tea with Mandela three years ago. A comic book depicting Mandela's life lies next to a magazine on Queen Elizabeth's fashion evolution.His bungalow in a quiet Cape Town suburb is filled with mementos of the man whose quiet dignity won him over. In a cluttered dining room is a framed picture of him having tea with Mandela three years ago. A comic book depicting Mandela's life lies next to a magazine on Queen Elizabeth's fashion evolution.
But Swart doesn't seem a man given to introspection. Has he been thinking a lot about his time with the prisoner who went on to become the nation's most famous president? "It was a long time ago," he says.But Swart doesn't seem a man given to introspection. Has he been thinking a lot about his time with the prisoner who went on to become the nation's most famous president? "It was a long time ago," he says.
On their first real day together in Victor Verster, Mandela inquired if he was interested in politics. Swart replied he wasn't, and the subject never came up again. "He was very respectful of my view, even though he was only ever interested in watching the news on the television."On their first real day together in Victor Verster, Mandela inquired if he was interested in politics. Swart replied he wasn't, and the subject never came up again. "He was very respectful of my view, even though he was only ever interested in watching the news on the television."
That apolitical attitude hasn't changed today. "It's not going to get better anytime soon. Before, whites were oppressing blacks. Now rich blacks are oppressing others," is his terse assessment of the current state of affairs, before he firmly falls silent. That apolitical attitude hasn't changed today. "It's not going to get better any time soon. Before, whites were oppressing blacks. Now rich blacks are oppressing others," is his terse assessment of the current state of affairs, before he firmly falls silent.
After a pause, he fetches another album. Inside, carefully folded, are hand-written notes Mandela would leave for him. One written in Afrikaans says: "Our friend the mouse is back," a reference to an ongoing battle in the house surrounded by fields. After a pause he fetches another album. Inside, carefully folded, are handwritten notes Mandela would leave for him. One written in Afrikaans says: "Our friend the mouse is back," a reference to an ongoing battle in the house surrounded by fields.
What is his favourite memory of Mandela? His sense of humour, he replies, recounting how Mandela would frequently "trick" visitors by boiling water in the microwave – an object he only saw for the first time at Victor Verster. What is his favourite memory of Mandela? His sense of humour, he replies, recounting how Mandela would frequently "trick" visitors by boiling water in the microwave – an object he saw for the first time at Victor Verster.
Swart won't be attending the memorials, he says, but picks up a picture from several framed ones dotting the house: Mandela smiling, wearing a bright red shirt. "This is how I will remember him, always smiling," he says, briefly smiling himself before once again looking unmistakably sad. Swart says he won't be attending the memorials. He picks up a picture from several framed ones dotting the house: Mandela smiling, wearing a bright red shirt. "This is how I will remember him, always smiling," he says, briefly smiling himself before once again looking unmistakably sad.
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