In a South African prison known as Robben Island in the 1960s, an unlikely friendship formed between prominent twentieth century figure Nelson Mandela and his young prison guard. The guard, Christo Brand, visited UNCW last Friday and spoke about his experiences with the anti-apartheid figure and how humanity and education are vital in the fight for equality.

 “They [originally] employed wardens who were big guys with a poor education,” said Brand. “Some of these guards would oppress the prisoners and trouble would start. [Prison official] could not communicate with the guards, so they started looking towards a younger generation; I was a part of that younger generation.”

The reason he went into the prison service was due to the fact that during the years of apartheid in South Africa, all white children were forced into military training. “One of my friends died in a military training camps and I didn’t want to join at all, [so] I looked for alternatives and became a prison guard.”

Brand was sent to work on Robben Island, where he was told he would guard “the most dangerous prisoners.” However, once he arrived at the prison and opened those cell doors for the first time, he saw older people standing up from their mats on the floor. Brand recalled seeing their names by the door but not knowing who they were.

The reason Brand did not know the notoriety that came with the name Nelson Mandela was because people in Cape Town did not mention the names of revolutionaries, Brand had to research them himself.

“People would be like ‘he is arrested, why do you want to talk about a terrorist in prison?’ if I ever asked [about the names],” said Brand.

However, learning about Mandela’s past did not deter the respect Brand had for the man. Brand remembered how Mandela was respectful towards others and encouraged the education and bettering of both guards and his fellow prisoners.

“[Mandela] asked his oppressors to study,” said Brand, “because he thought if he could get his oppressors to study, they could become better people.” Mandela even personally pushed for the education of Brand.

In one story Brand relayed about his times with Mandela, Brand explained how Mandela had another guard take a chocolate bar to Brand’s wife without Brand knowing. Mandela was secretive because within the wrapper was a note asking Mrs. Brand to encourage her husband’s studies.

Brand did not learn about this note until after Mandela had become president of South Africa years later.

For Brand, what he learned from Mandela was the importance of education. Mandela put a platform for equality, like creating opportunity that once did not exist for black children to become educated.

“Now all youth must grab this equal opportunity to study,” said Brand, “because the youth of today get opportunities that were not there during apartheid times. Mandela wanted black and white to go together to school, he wanted a rainbow nation.”

Education of the masses allowed for South Africa to move towards equality. White people did not know what was going on in their own country, according to Brand. Their country and the portrayal of black citizens were controlled by the police and their armies.

White South Africans thought that blacks were “on the wrong track,” wanted to burn places and kill people. But they were shocked when incidents of murder and disappearing people finally came to light.

Through his interview and open discussion on campus, Brand hoped to bring an understanding of humanity.

“I understand that America has its own race problems occurring right now,” said Brand. “Your apartheid was long before ours, but I hope your people can learn from South Africa and from what Mandela observed and achieved. That even in America white people and black people can take hands and go forward and educate their children together.”