A South African court has ruled that Albert Luthuli, the first African to win the Nobel Peace Prize, died in 1967 as a result of an assault by apartheid police and railway employees. This judgment overturns a previous inquest held under the apartheid government, which concluded his death was accidental. The decision follows a reopened investigation into Luthuli's death and is part of ongoing efforts by South African authorities to address apartheid-era crimes.
Court Ruling on Luthuli's Death
On Thursday, Judge Nompumelelo Radebe delivered a ruling in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, stating that evidence presented in a reopened inquest did not support the findings of the 1967 inquest. The judge concluded that Luthuli's death was caused by "a fractured skull, cerebral haemorrhage and concussion of the brain associated with an assault."
Judge Radebe further attributed the assault to "members of the security special branch of the South African police, acting in concert and in common purpose with employees of the South African Railway Company." Seven men were named as having committed or being complicit in the murder; their current whereabouts are unknown, but they could face criminal charges if located.
Background and Previous Inquest
Albert Luthuli, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his role in opposing apartheid, was the leader of the then-banned African National Congress (ANC) at the time of his death in 1967. An inquest conducted by the apartheid government concluded that Luthuli died after being struck by a freight train while walking along a railway line. However, his family and activists had consistently questioned these findings.
South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority reopened investigations into Luthuli's death in April this year, following suspicions from his family and activists that apartheid authorities were responsible for his death and its subsequent cover-up.
Family and Official Response
Following the court's judgment, a spokesperson for the Luthuli family welcomed the decision, describing it as "the first part of finally getting justice."
Mahlengi Bhengu, the national spokesperson for the ANC, also issued a statement welcoming the court's decision. Bhengu stated that the ruling "corrected a long-standing distortion of history" and brought "justice, truth and dignity to the memory of one of South Africa's greatest sons and to all those who suffered under apartheid brutality."
Ongoing Efforts to Address Apartheid-Era Crimes
The ruling in Luthuli's case is one of several recent initiatives by South African authorities to address unresolved crimes from the apartheid era and provide closure for victims' families. Last month, prosecutors reopened the inquest into the 1977 death of anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko, who died in police custody after being tortured. In May, President Cyril Ramaphosa established a judicial commission of inquiry tasked with investigating allegations of improper influence in delaying or hindering the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes.