Mahatma Gandhi prison cell

Mahatma Gandhi was born on 02 October 1869 in India when it was under the colonial rule of the British Empire. In 1893, he worked as a lawyer for an Indian firm in South Africa. Gandhi, who was also human rights activist, featured prominently in South Africa's liberation struggle during the 20th century.

In September 1913, his wife, Kasturba, and other female Indian protestors illegally entered the Transvaal by train. They were protesting against the government's refusal to acknowledge marriages between Hindu and Muslim Indians. They were arrested and sentenced to three months in prison. Their arrest angered Indian communities and helped Gandhi's Satyagraha Campaign gain momentum.

In late 1913, Gandhi mobilised about two thousand peaceful protestors, mostly Indian miners and railway workers. They marched along the same route in protest and illegally entered the Transvaal from Natal via Volksrust, in defiance of the Transvaal Immigration Law.

The Volksrust whites had promised to shoot any Indian who crossed into the Transvaal, but they did nothing when the resisters eventually entered. Gandhi was arrested and fined £50 bail but continued with his defiance. His passive resistance drew more support and 155 others were arrested in the days following his arrest. He was again arrested in Standerton. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to nine months imprisonment. He was transferred to Volksrust Old Prison where he served six weeks in prison. 

In early 1914 the government agreed to all of Gandhi’s terms. The government abolished the £3 tax and the Black Act, and allowed Indians to move freely into the Transvaal. They also recognised Hindu-Muslim marriages as legitimate.