The Justice Department has reopened inquests into the deaths of prominent anti-apartheid activists, including Chief Albert Luthuli, as new evidence suggests possible foul play.
Justice dept points to foul play in Chief Albert Luthuli’s death
The mysterious circumstances of Chief Albert Luthuli’s death in 1967, originally reported as an accident involving a train, have long been a subject of controversy.
Recent investigations have brought forward new mathematical and scientific analyses challenging the initial findings, suggesting that Chief Luthuli’s injuries were inconsistent with a train accident.
“[On] 21 September 1967, an inquest was held by the apartheid regime at the Magistrates’ Court in Stanger, in the district of lower Tugela. This inquest found that the cause of death was due to a fractured skull and cerebral According to the court at the time the “evidence did not disclose any criminal culpability on the part of South African Railways and anyone else.” As a result of representations made to the National Director of Public Prosecutions which brought to the fore that in 1967, the inquest did not consider certain mathematical and scientific principles. This mathematical and scientific report reveal that it is highly unlikely that Chief Luthuli was struck by a train and died because of that,” the department wrote in a statement.
The Justice Department, spurred by these findings and additional undisclosed evidence, has decided to re-examine the details of Luthuli’s death to potentially uncover a more sinister truth behind the incident.
“Minister Lamola accepts and agrees that it is necessary and in the interest of justice to approach the Judge President of High Court of South Africa in the KwaZulu-Natal Division to re-open the inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli,” the statement read.
Inquests were reopened on the deaths of these two struggle stalwarts
Alongside Chief Luthuli, the inquests into the deaths of Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge and Booi Mantyi have also been reopened.
Mxenge, a lawyer and activist, was brutally murdered in 1981, and his case was marred by insufficient investigations and a lack of accountability, despite evidence pointing towards state-sanctioned assassination.
Booi Mantyi’s death in 1985, under suspicious circumstances involving police, similarly saw no conclusive findings at the time.
New evidence and testimonies have prompted a fresh look into these cases to rectify past judicial oversights and bring closure to their families.
What does this imply about the death of Chief Albert Luthuli?
The reopening of these inquests marks a critical step in addressing past injustices and the government’s commitment to resolving unsolved cases from the apartheid era.
By re-investigating these deaths, the Justice Department aims to not only bring justice to the families of the deceased but also to reinforce the principles of accountability and transparency in South Africa’s democratic framework.
These inquests are expected to shed light on hidden aspects of South Africa’s history, potentially implicating former state operatives and uncovering truth buried for decades.
