In the long odyssey of Mahatma Gandhi’s life, 21 years in South Africa stood out.
meIn the long odyssey of Mahatma Gandhi’s life, 21 years in South Africa stood out.
Before becoming one of the most famous figures of the 21st century as a symbol of Indian independence, Gandhi lived in the British South African colony from 1893 to 1915.
As his thoughts towards colonialism developed, he created the hallmark of a peaceful protest campaign – the Transvaal March, protesting the ban on Indian immigration.
But today, the physical legacy of Gandhi’s history in South Africa is being damaged due to lack of funds, his grandson said.
Now a museum, the house he lived in in Phoenix, Durban, which also housed a newspaper, is in ruins. The color is dull turquoise, some windows are broken and the roof is leaking.
“If we allow the settlement to end up dilapidated, the memory will disappear,” said Ela Gandhi, 82, who lives in Durban.
He heads the Phoenix Settlement Trust, which manages the museum and provides food aid, temporary shelter and computer literacy classes to the needy.
The trust has been held for many years by the municipality of Durban to preserve its heritage. But recently turned off the faucet.
The granddaughter said the trust’s activities helped ease strained relations between Phoenix residents, many of whom are of Indian origin, and Inanda’s predominantly black community.
More than 30 people were killed in an outbreak of vigilante violence in Phoenix during riots in 2021. Most of the victims were black South Africans.
“Until last year, we received some funding from the municipality to continue and develop the program; now it has stopped,” Gandhi said.
The city provides R40 000 per month before the fund runs out.
The municipality did not respond to a request for comment.
Hundreds of thousands of Indians came to South Africa during the British colonial rule in the 19th century to work on sugarcane plantations on the east coast.
Gandhi landed in South Africa in the early 20s to represent Indian businessmen in legal matters.
Nearly ten years after his arrival, Gandhi bought 100 acres of land in Phoenix. There, he invited some of his friends to join him in building an independent community, which became the incubator of the Satyagraha doctrine of nonviolent civil disobedience.
Not everyone in South Africa was a fan of Gandhi. Some argue he has racist views.
In 2015, protesters defaced Gandhi’s statue in Johannesburg with white paint.
Gandhi used racial slurs in some of his writings, also claiming that Indians were “superior” to black Africans.
They are indeed “products of colonialism” who believe “white colonial society is the embodiment of civilization”, says Vishwas Satgar, professor of international relations at the University of the Witwatersrand.
But South Africa replaced him.
“They show something very important – that humans can change,” Satgar said.
Ela Gandhi said the house museum shows how her grandfather “changed his life” and discusses “attitudes towards race” and other issues. They are looking for alternative funding to keep the trust going but times are tough.
“It has been a difficult market to raise funds for post-pandemic historical scenes,” said Sello Hatang, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
In 2021, Liliesleaf, the Johannesburg farm Mandela used as a safe house, was forced to close its doors indefinitely after years of lack of funding. Preserving this site “is no longer something donors feel is a priority”, said Hatang. — AFP