The Phoenix Settlement Site is largely associated with Mahatma Gandhi’s early settlement in South Africa and his connection to the liberation movement. Once Mahatma Gandhi had settled in South Africa, he settled on this site, and in those days around the Gandhi settlement site were beautiful plantations of sugar cane fields.After the year-long contract that Mahatma Gandhi took-up with an Indian law firm, he began his experiments with the concept of communal living, non-possession, interfaith harmony, simplicity, environmental protection, conservation, manual labour, social and economic justice, nonviolent action, principles of education and truth. In addition to Mahatma Gandhi’s aspirations of creating a peaceful environment, this site was going to be self-sustaining.Over 100 acres of land was called Phoenix Settlement. It was the most beautiful piece of land, untouched by the then racial laws.
The Settlement, devoted to Gandhi’s principles of Satyagraha (passive resistance) has played an important spiritual and political role throughout its long history, promoting justice, peace and equality. Gandhi established the settlement as a communal experimental farm with the view of giving each family two acres of land which they could develop. He believed that communities like Phoenix which advocated communal living would form a sound basis for the struggle against social injustice.In addition to the intangible significance related to the phoenix Settlement site, Gandhi used the Settlement in order to train political activists called satyagrahis as well as house their families, while they were engaged in the campaigns against unjust laws. Its significance is centred around the ancillary support that Mahatma Gandhi offered to the freedom fighter’s struggle for equality and the stop to human right’s infringements.
