JOHANNESBURG // Asked to name South Africa's most important political figure, most people would undoubtedly reply Nelson Mandela. But the country also played a key part in the political development of another of the 20th century's towering personalities, Mahatma Gandhi.
As a young man, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi arrived in Durban in 1893 to work as a lawyer. By the time he returned permanently to India in 1914, he had become a political activist, organising protests against discrimination in South Africa, and developed his philosophy of satyagraha, or non-violent resistance, that was an essential part of his fight for Indian independence.
For much of his time in South Africa he lived in Johannesburg, and one of his houses there is now on sale for the first time in 28 years.
The Kraal, as it is known, was designed by his friend Hermann Kallenbach, an architect who later paid for the 445-hectare Tolstoy Farm, to the south of the city, where Gandhi set up a commune on satyagraha principles.
The house stands in Orchards, a suburb north of the city centre, and remains stylistically unchanged from the time it was built in 1907. It marries traditional African architecture - the main house is in the shape of two rondavels, linked by another room - and a traditional European interior, with much visible wood and thatch ceilings.
Originally, there were only two bedrooms, one for Kallenbach and one for Gandhi, although the latter often preferred to sleep on a mattress on the stoep - a South African term for a veranda. There was no running water, which was installed by a later owner, but there was a large tennis court, and a fowl run at the back of the property for chickens.
Unsurprisingly for an ascetic, there is no Gandhi memorabilia left at the house, and Nancy Ball, the owner, said: "It wasn't what he was about and I think this place was probably very sparsely furnished.
"In my quiet moments I'm just astonished to think that I'm living in a place where this man, one of the most revered leaders of modern times, walked through these rooms. He cooked in the kitchen, he actually slept in that room and walked through the garden to this tree.
"There's a tangible sense of peace and tranquillity here that I have rarely felt in other places, so I like to think that's part of the spirit that he left here."
An American textile artist from Wisconsin, she and her husband Jarrod, a waste management consultant, have raised three children in the house, and are now selling to move to Cape Town, to be closer to them.
It had been "a real privilege" to live in the house, she said, which they bought for 65,000 rand in 1981 - when the South African currency was worth more than the US dollar. "It would be wonderful if it could be preserved for the public."
Houses in the area nowadays sell for between 2 million rand and 2.5m rand (Dh946,000-Dh1.2m), but with its historical connection making The Kraal unique, a premium can be expected.
Nonetheless, several months of discreet marketing failed to find a buyer.
A proposal for it to be acquired by a trust to use as accommodation for visiting academics or writers fell through, and while recent publicity has triggered fresh interest from one of Gandhi's descendants and wealthy Indians around the world, the situation suggests a certain South African disinterest in its own history - perhaps because there has been so much of it in recent decades.
Stephen Gelb, founding director of the Centre for Indian Studies in Africa at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, said that the period when Gandhi lived in the house was "a fairly critical time in the development of his own philosophy".
The first expressions of the satyagraha approach to political activism took place in Johannesburg in 1907, with Indians burning their pass books in protest at the Transvaal Asiatic Registration Act, and Gandhi himself was arrested and imprisoned at least four times.
"It's important to people who value Gandhi's contribution to the progress of humankind, which is a pretty large audience," he said.
But he added: "In many societies there's limited interest in preserving the past, it may be more extreme in new societies."
Mrs Ball, 55, agreed. "I think certain people will always have an interest [in history] but the common man probably not."
The face of Johannesburg is changing rapidly, she pointed out, with "dreadful cluster complexes springing up at the expense of beautiful properties that have such a past being replaced by soulless monstrosities.
"That's what I would fight to the death to prevent happening here," she said.
sberger@thenational.ae
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
UAE%20FIXTURES
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The%20specs
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Super heroes
Iron Man
Reduced risk of dementia
Alcohol consumption could be an issue
Hulk
Cardiac disease, stroke and dementia from high heart rate
Spider-Man
Agility reduces risk of falls
Increased risk of obesity and mental health issues
Black Panther
Vegetarian diet reduces obesity
Unknown risks of potion drinking
Black Widow
Childhood traumas increase risk of mental illnesses
Thor
He's a god
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
