Durban street to be named after Mahatma Gandhi

The Point Road, known as a prostitution hub, will be renamed after Gandhi.

Authorities in this South African city will rename a street after Mahatma Gandhi in an effort to give the notorious neighbourhood a moral facelift.

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The Point Road in the centre of Durban, known as a prostitution hub, will be renamed after Gandhi within three months by the government.

"I know a lot of people will have problems with this decision, but I am delighted," grand-daughter of the Mahatma, Ela Gandhi said.

A former MP for the ruling ANC and presently chairperson of the Satyagraha Foundation in South Africa, Ela hoped that with Mahatma's name the street would gain a regenerative face.

Mahatma, who established the Natal Indian Congress in 1894, was one of the two Indian leaders who have been selected for recoginition by the municipal authorities.

The other dignitary to be honoured is Dr Yusuf Dadoo, who was leader of the South African Indian Congress at one time.

It was decided that the Grey Street and Broad Street will be named after Dadoo.

Grey Street, once famous as "Little India", has now degenerated into a crime-ridden area after most of the Indians and businesses moved out from the place to suburbs and other upmarket areas.

While some groups have welcomed the move to honour Mahatma and Dadoo, others have called on the municipality to also recoginise freedom fighters, including Dr Monty Naicker, Dr Goonam Naidoo, JN Singh, DK Singh, MN Pather, Morgan Naidoo, George Singh, who had made significant contributions to the freedom struggles and anti-apartheid movement.