It was here at Robben Island that he came to know Nelson Mandela -- where they were both sentenced to life in prison.

Anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada remembers seeing Mandela in the hospital.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MANDELA FRIEND AND ROBBEN ISLAND PRISONER, AHMED KATHRADA, SAYING:

"When I went to see him at the hospital, it was the most traumatic moment of my life. To see this man, whom I knew all my life as a strong person, and here he is a shadow of himself. Barely recognizable. Unable to speak because he had these tubes in his mouth. So he could just signal to me when I said something to him. I didn't expect him to respond because he couldn't with his tubes. But he could respond by shaking his head that he has understood."

Kathrada said he was prepared for Mandela's death.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MANDELA FRIEND AND ROBBEN ISLAND PRISONER, AHMED KATHRADA, SAYING:

"As traumatic as it was, I had accepted the fact that he's not going to be with us