Gandhi spent 20 years in South Africa during his apprenticeship to become a Mahatma or Great Soul; eleven of which were spent in KwaZulu Natal. In May 1893 on a train trip to Pretoria, Gandhi was ordered by a white man to move from first class to third class. Gandhi, who had a first class ticket, refused and was thrown off the train in Pietermaritzburg. This became a momentous moment in Gandhi’s life as he decided to stay and fight the oppression of Indians in South Africa. It was during this struggle that he developed his unique resistance movement known as Satyagraha.

Today a bronze statue stands in Church Street, Pietermaritzburg depicting Gandhi forever striding forward. The statue was unveiled in 1993 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu marking the centenary since Gandhi was thrown from the train.