Racism comes under spotlight in Ghandi’s Tolstoy
17 February 2016
Tolstoy, a farm southwest of Johannesburg where Mahatma Gandhi and his followers lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was this week chosen as the venue for a dialogue on racism facilitated by the City of Johannesburg.
Racism came under sharp scrutiny again earlier this year after KwaZulu-Natal estate agent Penny Sparrow described blacks as monkeys on her Facebook page. Idols SA judge Gareth Cliff went to court after he was dismissed by pay TV channel M-Net following his “Do people understand free speech?” tweet in the wake of the storm sparked by Sparrow.
Nearly 100 people from areas such as Lenasia, Lawley, Ennerdale, Orange Farm, Finetown, Bushkoppies and Poortjie took part in the dialogue on the farm, about 35km from Johannesburg and 17km from Soweto. City of Johannesburg’s Region G Director, Mickey Padiachee, regulated the proceedings, assisted by other City officials.
In his opening remarks, Padiachee outlined Gandhi’s background, saying the Indian leader and prominent lawyer arrived in South Africa in 1893 to handle a legal matter but remained in the country for the following 21 years.
“Between 1910 and 1913 Gandhi developed his passive resistance philosophy on this farm with his followers, with whom he lived. The farm was named after Russian novelist and philosopher Leon Tolstoy,” explained Padiachee.
He said Gandhi advocated for co-operative common-wealth as an experiment in living together.
“Gandhi drew families together in pursuit of a new and simple life, bridging divides of language, religion, customs, gender and class, and forging values of moral character, self-reliance, mutual respect, perseverance, tolerance and healthy organic living,” said Padiachee.
Participants felt a lot could be drawn from the philosophy of passive resistance as espoused by Gandhi. Jay Morris, an informal trader, lamented the absence of other race groups in the dialogue.
“It would have been great if white people were here to hear the views of the young people. Keeping away from one another will never help us in understanding one another. Instead, we will continue to fear one another, resulting in racially insulting one another,” he said.
Resident Tumo Moshesh said: “In South Africa we need to unite towards a common goal of making this country work. We should frown upon those seeking to divide us and polarise us,” said
His sentiments were echoed by Thandeka Jwara, an unemployed mother of two, who said: “Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela called for tolerance. We need to walk in their shoes and follow their teachings in order for this country to prosper.” Morris said he wished there could be investments in the area.
“With this farm carrying this rich heritage of Mahatma Gandhi, I hope it will attract more business into the area, and alleviate poverty that is so prevalent,” he said.
Indeed, there are plans to bring back life into the farm by turning it into a museum and a community centre, said Padiachee.
The City of Johannesburg, Gauteng Tourism Authority and Gandhi Centenary Council are some of the role players working on the Gandhi project that has a potential to attract millions of rand in investment.