Robben Island is known for being the place former South African president Nelson Mandela was jailed for 18 of his 27 years, but the Island was the home of prisoners from outside South Africa, notably Namibia.  Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Since 1997 Robben Island has been a museum acting as a focal point of South African heritage.