Gandhi home acquired by French tourism firm

DAVID SMITH in Johannesburg

A FORMER home of Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa has been bought by a French tourism company, causing bitter disappointment in his birthplace, India.

The Kraal, in a quiet suburb of Johannesburg, was home to Gandhi for three years when he was a young lawyer formulating his philosophy of non-violent resistance.

Its owners of 28 years, Jarrod and Nancy Ball, struggled to attract interest in the property until its availability was reported in a South African newspaper, sparking a worldwide bidding war.

Voyageurs du Monde is believed to have paid in the region of $500,000 for the house. It plans to turn it into a Gandhi museum.

The Indian government expressed disappointment and said it was not giving up on the house. Sriprakash Jaiswal, the coal minister, was quoted as saying: “The matter concerns national sentiment and I will leave no stone unturned to acquire the historic property and declare it a national monument.”

The vendors, who are moving to Cape Town, said they chose Voyageurs du Monde because of the firm’s commitment to preserving the rich heritage of the thatched-roof rondavel-style house.

Ms Ball, a US-born artist, said they had been “more than surprised” by the global interest. “It was kind of mindboggling . . . All of a sudden the time was just right.”

Gandhi lived in South Africa for 21 years, working as a lawyer and activist He said in his autobiography that he would “always be a South African Indian”.

– (Guardian service)