Mandela's Robben Island jailer describes their unlikely friendship, praises his success
He was with Nelson Mandela during all those years the anti-apartheid icon was imprisoned on Robben Island. And, like millions around the world, he has been hit hard by Mandela's death.
Yet this South African was not one of Mandela's fellow prisoners. Christo Brand was his jailer.
The two men the black political prisoner and the white Afrikaans warden forged an unlikely but enduring friendship.
They last met about two years ago when Brand, now in his 50s, brought his wife, son and grandson to see Mandela in Cape Town in a Sunday afternoon visit that lasted nearly three hours.
They had nice chats about the past, about his family. He wanted to pick up my grandchild, to hold him, which he was a little bit shy to go to him. You could see he really reached out for touching a child at that moment, Brand recalled.
When I got the message when he passed away, it was very sad for me, Brand told The Associated Press on Saturday. But I think he was successful and he did what he wanted to do. I wanted him to go in peace and I am thinking of the family today, what they go through.
Brand started to work on Robben Island in 1978 when he was 18 and Mandela was 60. Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island.
Eventually Brand grew to like Mandela and smuggled in special treats like bread and Mandela's favorite hair pomade. Brand even sneaked in Mandela's infant granddaughter so that the prisoner could hold her.
For his part, Mandela encouraged Brand to continue his education and maintained an interest in him and his family.
Years later, when Mandela was president, he took special care to single out Brand for recognition while Brand was a lowly civil servant while South Africa's new constitution was being drafted. Mandela flew in by helicopter and entered the room where members of parliament were debating the new constitution, said Brand.
Mandela went around the room shaking hands with parliamentarians but when he saw Brand, who was distributing documents, Mandela lifted his arms and warmly greeted him.
He immediately made a big announcement to everyone: 'You know who is this person? This person was my warden, this person was my friend.' Brand said he felt very humble and proud at that moment. After that when the parliamentarians went out for a group photo, Mandela insisted that Brand be in the photo. He said 'No, no. You must stand next to me, we belong together.'
Brand once again works on Robben Island which is no longer a prison but a bustling tourist attraction. He and other former guards and prisoners tell visitors about the new South Africa's racial reconciliation.
Brand said he shared a joke with Mandela about his final resting place.
I say to Mandela that we must bury you on Robben Island. Then he just laughed. He said 'Why? For tourist attraction?' He said 'You should have made money. But I think I must go to Qunu.' That was him making a joke.
當地時間12月5日，南非首任黑人總統納爾遜 曼德拉因肺部感染去世，舉世哀悼。據美國媒體12月7日報道，曼德拉昔日在羅本島的看守、陪他熬過漫漫鐵窗生涯的克里斯托 布蘭德近日動情回憶了兩人之間的交情。看似水火不相容的黑人政治犯和白人獄警締結了一段感人的忘年交。
曼德拉和布蘭德最后一次見面是2年前一個周日的下午，現年50多歲的布蘭德當時帶著妻子、兒子和孫子去開普敦看望了曼德拉，聊了近3個小時。布蘭德回憶說： (我們)當時愉快地聊著往事，聊他的家庭。他想抱抱我的孫子，但孩子有點害羞不敢靠近他。他伸出手撫摸了一下孩子。
我得到他去世的消息后感到很難過， 布蘭德7日告訴美聯社， 但我想他的人生是成功的，他做了自己想做的事情。我希望他走得安詳，我在想曼德拉的家人該怎么熬過這一關。
在曼德拉27年的鐵窗生涯中，有18年是在羅本島上度過的。布蘭德1978年開始在羅本島工作，那時他18歲，曼德拉60歲。曼德拉的人格魅力感化了這位獄警，布蘭德越來越喜歡曼德拉，并偷偷給他 特殊待遇 ，比如給他帶來面包和他最喜歡的潤發油。布蘭德甚至將曼德拉尚是嬰兒的小孫女悄悄帶進監獄，讓他得以享受天倫之樂。
而曼德拉則鼓勵布蘭德繼續學習，并一直關心著布蘭德和他的家人。
多年后曼德拉成了南非總統，而布蘭德則是國會里一個默默無名的公務員。有一次布蘭德去參加國會起草南非新憲法的會議，曼德拉也乘直升機前來參會，曼德拉在和議員握手問好時看到了正在分發文件的他。 他立即向房間里的每個人宣告： 你們知道這個人是誰嗎?他曾經是我的獄警，也是我的朋友。 布蘭德回憶說。議員和曼德拉合影時，曼德拉堅持讓布蘭德也過來合影。布蘭德站到了一邊，曼德拉說： 不，不，你要站在我旁邊，我們是一起的。
布蘭德回憶說，他曾經和曼德拉開了個玩笑。 我對曼德拉說，你死后我們必須把你安葬在羅本島。他只是笑了笑說： 為什么?吸引游客? 他說： 那樣你應該可以賺很多錢，但我想我必須得回古努(曼德拉故鄉)。 他就是這樣和我開玩笑的。
另據報道，曼德拉2010年慶祝出獄20周年時，曾邀請布蘭德參加。