His activism echoed throughout later Indian-black relations

From "Madiba smart" shirts to oversized coffee table picture books, the Mandela touch, perhaps second to only Che Guevara's iconic image, is always a safe bet for a tidy profit.

So why did it take so long for Mohandas Gandhi, one of the few freedom fighters spoken of in the same breath as Mandela, to drum up a commercial frenzy?

Could it be that Gandhi's legacy is not as unblinkingly revered as that of Tata Madiba?

Nestled in Johannesburg's Orchards suburb, a house informally known as "The Kraal" was home to Gandhi from 1908 to 1911. He was offered accommodation there by his close friend, the house's architect, Hermann Kallenbach. Nancy and Jarrod Ball have lived in the house for 28 years, and for much of this year were unable to find a buyer for the house.

Only after a report in this newspaper ignited a flurry of international media and real estate speculation did the house begin to receive the attention the Balls had long been waiting for. Last week, they signed the papers to sell it.

Historian Eric Itzkin describes Johannesburg in his book Gandhi's Johannesburg as "the birthplace of satyagraha". The Kraal, notable for its rondavel-style architecture, is then plausibly a key incubator for the philosophy that brought Indians independence and inspired countless others.

Gandhi employed this philosophy of non-violence in protesting against laws compelling Indians to register with the colonial authorities in Natal and Transvaal, and to carry registration cards. Black and Indian leaders echoed these actions in opposing the similar dompas of the apartheid era.

But, especially in his early days in South Africa, Gandhi's activism was much more parochial than the universal non-racialism of the ANC. In attempting to secure fair land rights for Indians in the new, bustling Johannesburg, he protested in 1905 that "kaffirs" (a term he used often in his early writings) were being allowed to live in what was then known as a "coolie location", theoretically reserved for Indians.

The 1906 incident in the train portrayed in Richard Attenborough's 1982 biopic film Gandhi is also troublesome. Gandhi was advocating that just upper-caste Indians be allowed to use the train, not people of all races.

His views did appear to evolve over time and it is hard to deny his inspirational fight against British colonialism in India.

In South Africa, his influence as a freedom fighter persists. Annual marches in KwaZulu-Natal celebrating his legacy attest to this.

Still, no South African besides Gandhi's granddaughter, Kirti Menon, came forward with an offer for The Kraal compelling enough for the Ball family in terms of both money and historical preservation. According to Nancy Ball, the final three bidders were Menon, Malaysian e-commerce tycoon Vijay Eswaran, and a late entry by the Indian government.

Eswaran told The Times that if he buys the house he plans to create a museum that would "remind this South African nation of the great legacy indeed that they have".

Menon echoed this sentiment. "Gandhi's period in Johannesburg is of particular importance in his own development," she said.

Gandhi's time in Johannesburg was clearly influential. But its "legacy", as Eswaran calls it, is a complicated one. His philosophy inspired, but his activism, limited in its universality, echoed throughout later Indian-black relations during the struggle against apartheid and discrimination. Mid-20th century riots in Durban are examples of violent tension between Indians and blacks. Some chafed against the ANC's insistence on non-racialism and tying the Indian cause to the greater anti-apartheid one. Even now, it is an issue that hits a raw nerve.

The Gandhi name still has a strong cachet. And deservedly so. India, one of the most populous, fast-growing economies in the world, has Gandhi to thank for its independence.

Even if the house were not attractive to South African buyers, the international interest in a piece of Gandhi's South African life echoes the Mandela model.

"There is a sort of Gandhi brand as there is a Mandela brand. And there are people out there who want to acquire it for that value," Nancy Ball said.

Though the house was initially listed at R2.5-million, when I mentioned that number to Eswaran before the sale, he laughed.

"It's way past the figure that you talked about," he said.

At least "Gandhi smart" white robes still seem an unlikely trend.