Why knitting was a Robben Island prisoners' pastime

26 February 2013 Last updated at 13:13 ET Help

Knitting in prison... It sounds unusual. But it seems even hardened freedom fighters have at times sought solace in wool and needles.

In South Africa, a new book has revealed that casting the perfect purl and rib stitches was a pastime among political prisoners on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

BBC Africa's Xolani Gwala caught up with some former inmates in Johannesburg - Jerome Maake, Sifiso Buthelezi and Bafana Sithole - and found out how knitting helped the years go by.

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