Number Four: The Making of Constitution Hill

In 1995, the historic decision was taken to locate the new constitutional court building on the site of the Old Fort, the city's notorious prison, popularly known as 'Number Four'. Famously, this prison housed two icons of liberation of the 20th Century - Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, as well as thousands of ordinary South Africans who were imprisoned under colonial and apartheid regimes simply because of the colour of their skin. The new constitutional court, and the old prison buildings that surround it, have been developed into Constitution Hill, a thriving complex of heritage sites and museums, exhibition and performance spaces, offices and other tourist facilities.

This book tells the story of the making of Constitution Hill – its transformation from a derelict prison site into the home of the constitutional court and a prime tourist destination in inner-city Johannesburg. The story is told through a series of quotes so as to give the reader a first-hand account of the many different people and the complex issues involved in making this extraordinary dream into a reality.