(14 Jun 1999) Natural Sound
The Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has visited Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.
Mandela, who ended his term of office as South African president on Monday to be replaced by an unopposed Thabo Mbeki, spent most of the 27 years he spent in prison on the island.
Mandela, who was instrumental in persuading Gadhafi to hand over the Lockerbie bombing suspects to the United Nations (U-N), gave the Libyan leader a warm welcome when he arrived in South Africa on Sunday.
The Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi braved heavy rain and rough seas to visit Robben Island on Monday.
Gadhafi, who is on a visit to South Africa, chose one of the worst days of the year to visit the island, where outgoing president Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for most of the 27 years he spent in prison.
The first heavy rains of the Cape winter brought cold, wet and misty conditions along with heavy seas.
Gadhafi, dressed in a large brown coat and surrounded by security staff, boarded the Robben Island ferry at the Cape Town Waterfront about midday.
He was met by the curator of the island and former inmate, Ahmed Kathrada, who conducted the tour.
Gadhafi visited the now famous cell where Mandela spent most of his time in prison and then was taken in heavy rain to the lime quarry where political prisoners were forced to work.
Gadhafi also visited the area of the prison where former Pan Africanist Congress founder Robert Sobukwe was held.
Gadhafi then requested to visit the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Matura who died on the island in 1740 after being banished there by the Dutch government in the Cape.
Kathrada said Gadhafi said a prayer for the sheikh who had opposed the Dutch government's policy of slavery.
He then returned to the Waterfront where he was met by his motor convoy.
He was due to leave Cape Town for Pretoria on Monday afternoon.
This is Gadhafi's first visit to the country since the United Nations (U-N) lifted their trade sanctions on Libya country over the Lockerbie bombing affair.
Mandela played an instrumental part in securing the handover of the Lockerbie bombing suspects and persuading the U-N to lift the sanctions on Libya.
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20 июл 2015
