http://www.lightstalkers.org/galleries/contact_sheet/20750 “Ramkraalâ€* is one of the oldest remaining buildings in the Mangaung (Bloemfontein), South Africa area. It is a particularly striking fort-like structure complete with turrets, watch towers and massive bolted doors completed in 1895. Its rich history is that of containment. Political prisoners found little justice in the "Apartheid" years. Yet, their struggle efforts were not in vain and South Africa has been liberated with the first Democratic Elections in 1994. Many of the structures of the past, created by South Africa’s "Apartheid" government, has been deemed irrelevant or has found new meaning or application in a free South Africa. When the “Ramkraalâ€* prison (formerly known as Bloemfontein Prison) was closed down in 1994 it too became irrelevant. After that attempts were made to creatively put the building to use. These attempts failed for various reasons and "Ramkraal" is once again unapplied and without purpose. Whilst there is still informal activity at the prison there is no telling what the future will hold for “Ramkraalâ€* Apart from the historical value “Ramkraalâ€* carries it is a unique place, not only in Mangaung but certainly the whole of South Africa due to the free application of the building by individuals on the fringe of society. Nowhere else will one find such an old structure with such a rich and unprotected heritage where individuals from all walks of life have found a safe haven. Now, most of the inhabitants have left "Ramkraal" after repeated threats of eviction by the authorities. Yet, the photographs in the “Ramkraalâ€* project show the coming together of people from different races, creeds, religions and nationalities in one spot, living together as a tolerant, peaceful sub-community removed from the uncertain outside world. With countrywide xenophobic attacks in May 2008 the situation at Ramkraal is truly astounding and a unique part of contemporary life in Mangaung with children playing in the courtyards of the abandoned prison, immigrant artists and crafters plying their trade at the prison, Rastafarians practicing their religion in empty cells and ex-prisoners revisiting their place of confinement. © George Hugo, 2009 http://www.georgehugo.com http://www.lightstalkers.org en-us http://images.lightstalkers.org/avatars/28070/George_Hugo_small.jpg http://www.lightstalkers.org/George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857118/RKJPG_001_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857118'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857118 Tue, 05 May 2009 07:56:27 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857118 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857118/RKJPG_001_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857118'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857139/RKJPG_002_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857139'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857139 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:01:38 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857139 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857139/RKJPG_002_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857139'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857148/RKJPG_004_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857148'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857148 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:03:51 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857148 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857148/RKJPG_004_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857148'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857154/RKJPG_012_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857154'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857154 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:04:28 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857154 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857154/RKJPG_012_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857154'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857157/RKJPG_005_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857157'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857157 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:10:29 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857157 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857157/RKJPG_005_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857157'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857160/RKJPG_017_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857160'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857160 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:11:19 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857160 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857160/RKJPG_017_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857160'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857163/RKJPG_015_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857163'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857163 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:12:04 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857163 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857163/RKJPG_015_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857163'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857166/RKJPG_021_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857166'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857166 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:12:56 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857166 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857166/RKJPG_021_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857166'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857169/RKJPG_025_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857169'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857169 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:13:54 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857169 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857169/RKJPG_025_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857169'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857172/RKJPG_029_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857172'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857172 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:14:44 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857172 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857172/RKJPG_029_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857172'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857178/RKJPG_032_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857178'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857178 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:18:56 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857178 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857178/RKJPG_032_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857178'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857181/RKJPG_023_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857181'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857181 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:19:40 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857181 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857181/RKJPG_023_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857181'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857184/RKJPG_028_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857184'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857184 Tue, 05 May 2009 08:20:34 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857184 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/857184/RKJPG_028_small.jpg' /><br /><br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/857184'>view full-size image</a> George A. Hugo