South Africa’s justice minister, Ronald Lamola, has announced a fresh inquiry into the mysterious death of Chief Albert Luthuli, South Africa’s renowned anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who died in 1967.
The decision to reopen the investigation follows persistent doubts raised by Chief Luthuli’s family and activists regarding the circumstances surrounding his demise during the apartheid era.
The initial inquest, conducted under the white-minority government, concluded that Chief Luthuli had tragically died in a railway accident near his home in KwaZulu-Natal province, allegedly struck by a train.
However, suspicions have long lingered that the regime orchestrated his demise and then covered it up by attributing it to a train collision.
At the time of his death, Chief Luthuli was confined to his residential area and barred from political activities as the leader of the banned African National Congress (ANC), a pivotal figure in the struggle against apartheid. He was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his unwavering dedication to dismantling the apartheid regime.
Justice Minister Lamola cited compelling new evidence, including a “mathematical and scientific” report, challenging the original finding that Chief Luthuli was struck by a train. This development has prompted the decision to revisit not only Chief Luthuli’s case but also the deaths of other anti-apartheid activists, including Griffiths Mxenge and Booi Mantyi.
Griffiths Mxenge, assassinated in 1981, and Booi Mantyi, who died in an altercation with apartheid police in 1985, are also subjects of renewed inquiries. Recent revelations and overlooked witnesses have prompted the justice ministry to re-examine these cases, highlighting possible shortcomings in earlier investigations.
These developments are part of a broader effort in South Africa to seek truth and accountability for past injustices. Previous inquests into the deaths of anti-apartheid activists have challenged official narratives, notably overturning the ruling that activist Ahmed Timol’s death was a suicide, instead concluding that he was murdered by police.
The announcement of these inquests coincides with South Africa’s forthcoming general election, where the ruling ANC faces significant electoral challenges after three decades in power. The pursuit of justice for historical wrongs underscores the ongoing reckoning with South Africa’s apartheid legacy and the quest for transparency and closure in unresolved cases of political violence.
