In July the Prisons Department stated that Robben Island security prison would be transferred to Leeuwkop Prison, when a special extension had been built. In September the Prime Minister P.W. Botha told the Cape Nationalist Party Congress that the Island was to be handed over to the Defence Force when vacated by the prison authorities.
The construction of the extension to Leeuwkop is expected to take five to six years, and a spokesman said it had not been decided whether the non-political prisoners now on the Island would be removed to Leeuwkop also.
Later the Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, commenting on the escape from Pretoria (see above) said that "In spite of the natural security offered by the island, it is a very expensive place to imprisonment people".
The new Minister of Prisons Louis le Grange visited all the larger South African prisons in October, including Robben Island. Among others he met Nelson Mandela and said he was satisfied that Mandela was being well treated.
