Main entrance

RELATED LINKS: Recollecting the past brings the Old Fort alive A project to document memories of former prisoners of the Fort, a historic prison which gained notoriety for its brutal treatment of prisoners for almost a century, promises to shed light on the experiences of its inmates and to bring that past alive to present day visitors to the new Constitution Hill Precinct. Read more SA's history tied to the story of a fort When Joe Slovo was held at Johannesburg's Old Fort prison, now part of Constitution Hill, warders queued to seek legal advice from him in his "Chambers". In the prison setting this was the toilet - the only private place for white males. Black males had no such privileges - their toilets were located in the middle of their cells. Read more

Prison cells in the Old Fort

The Fort

Party up a storm at the Old Fort April 16, 2004 By Tammy O'Reilly WITH the development of Constitution Hill, 85 years of sombre prison sounds in the notorious Old Fort will be replaced with song and laughter as the venue is hired out for trendy functions. Opened in 1902 and closed in 1987, the Old Fort was notorious for its harsh conditions and later become famous for being the only prison to have housed two icons of the liberation struggle - Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. There are six venues to choose in the fort These days the architecturally romantic ramparts and Victorian architecture with wide courtyards have put it top of Johannesburg's "in" list for private parties and special functions. With six venues to choose from, the Old Fort is capable of handling anything from intimate gatherings and large banquets to upmarket conferences, says the Johannesburg Development Agency, the City's agency overseeing the development of Constitution Hill. Ideal for more intimate occasions, the Fort Courtyard, with its two-storey walls that frame the Hillbrow landscape, can seat up to 90 people and has facilities for sound equipment. The Fort Conference Room has a kitchen, serving counter, full audio-visual capacity, Internet access, a digital projector and seats up to 70 people. The Fort Atrium connects two prison wings and is popular for launches, cocktail parties and small dinner events. It can accommodate four to five round tables as well as larger events by using adjacent courtyards and conference spaces. Exhibition and special events rooms at the Fort are suitable for temporary exhibitions, a banquet for 90 or a standing event for 250 people. However, if you're looking to host a larger gathering, the Constitution Square piazza - large enough to accommodate a seated banquet of 450 or a total of 900 people - is where you should put your money. For booking and cost details, contact Sharon Premchund on 011 403 5191 or 011 403 5194 during office hours or visit www.constitutionhill.org.za Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za