Ela Gandhi, Activist, Politician
Activist, Politician

Ela Gandhi

Born 1 July 1940 · South Africa

Serving as a South African Member of Parliament representing Phoenix, Inanda from 1994 to 2004 with the ANC.

Ela Gandhi, is a South African peace activist and former politician. She served as a Member of Parliament in South Africa from 1994 to 2004, where she aligned with the African National Congress (ANC) party representing the Phoenix area of Inanda in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Her parliamentary committee assignments included the Welfare, and Public Enterprises committees as well as the ad hoc committee on Surrogate Motherhood. She was an alternate member of the Justice Committee and served on Theme Committee 5 on Judiciary and Legal Systems.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

Ela Gandhi was placed under house arrest for a total of nine years during apartheid, a punishment usually reserved for the most threatening activists.

The Story

1
🌍 In 1940, Ela Gandhi was born in the Phoenix Settlement, Durban, a community founded by her grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, where Indians, Africans, and other groups lived without electricity or tarred roads.
2
✊ In 1975, during apartheid South Africa, Ela Gandhi was banned from political activism and placed under house arrest for nine years, an extreme measure reflecting her defiance against racial segregation policies.
3In 1990, she was part of the United Democratic Front delegation that met Nelson Mandela the day before his release from Pollsmoor Prison, marking a pivotal moment in South Africa’s transition from apartheid.
4🏛️ From 1994 to 2004, Ela served as a Member of Parliament representing the Phoenix area under the African National Congress, focusing on welfare, public enterprises, and legal reforms, including surrogate motherhood legislation.

🏅 Awards & Honours

2007
Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

Ela Gandhi was banned from political activism in 1975 and spent nine years under house arrest, yet she remained active underground and co-founded the Natal Organisation of Women, uniting women across racial divides during apartheid.

🖼️

Through the Years

2 photographs from the archives
Ela Gandhi seen during Gursharan Kaur's visit to Phoenix Settlement in Durban, South Africa (2013).
Ela Gandhi seen during Gursharan Kaur's visit to Phoenix Settlement in Durban, South Africa (2013).
2013
Ela Gandhi meeting the Minister of State for Culture and Environment in New Delhi (2017).

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth at Phoenix Settlement
Ela Gandhi was born in Durban, South Africa, at the Phoenix Settlement established by her grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, a unique multicultural community.
1940
⚡
Career
Banned and House Arrest
Ela Gandhi was banned from political activism and placed under house arrest for nine years during apartheid, severely restricting her public activities.
1975
⚡
Career
Meeting Mandela Before Release
Ela Gandhi was among United Democratic Front members who met Nelson Mandela the day before his release from Pollsmoor Prison, a key moment in South Africa’s democracy transition.
1990
⚡
Career
Elected to Parliament
Ela Gandhi was elected as a Member of Parliament representing Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal under the African National Congress after South Africa’s first democratic elections.
1994
⚡
Career
End of Parliamentary Term
Ela Gandhi completed a decade-long term in the South African Parliament, focusing on welfare, public enterprises, and legal system reforms.
2004
🏅
Award
Padma Bhushan Awarded
The Government of India awarded Ela Gandhi the Padma Bhushan for her contributions to peace and social reform.
2007
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 05
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

In 1990, Ela Gandhi was among the UDF leaders who met Nelson Mandela the day before his release from Pollsmoor Prison, directly engaging in the final steps of apartheid’s dismantling.

02 / 05
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Ela Gandhi grew up in the Phoenix Settlement, where Indians, Coloureds, Whites, and Africans lived in harmony without access to electricity or tarred roads, reflecting early experiments in racial coexistence.

03 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Despite political bans, Ela Gandhi served as vice president of the Natal Indian Congress and was a member of the Transitional Executive Council before South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.

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🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Ela Gandhi
·YouTube
More from this archive
Ela Gandhi
01
Ela Gandhi
YouTube
Fight Against Apartheid | Ela Gandhi | Descendant of Mahatma Gandhi
02
Fight Against Apartheid | Ela Gandhi | Descendant of Mahatma Gandhi
YouTube
The Death Of Us Ela Gandhi on the Death Penalty
03
The Death Of Us Ela Gandhi on the Death Penalty
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Ela Gandhi helped shape South Africa’s post-apartheid welfare and legal policies through her decade-long parliamentary service, particularly influencing committees on public enterprises and surrogate motherhood. Her grassroots activism and establishment of the Gandhi Development Trust fostered nonviolent social reform and domestic violence prevention programs, sustaining Gandhian principles in a modern South African context.

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