The Pietermaritzburg High Court has ruled that former African National Congress (ANC) president-general Chief Albert Luthuli was beaten to death by apartheid police.

This was heard on Thursday during the delivery of the ruling on the reopened inquest, presided over by Judge Nompumelelo Hadebe.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that the court also overturned the findings of the September 1967 inquest into Luthuli’s death.

Luthuli died on July 21, 1967, and it was widely reported at the time that he died soon after being struck by a goods train.

“The subsequent inquest in September 1967 found that there was no evidence that disclosed any criminal culpability on the part of any employees of the South African Railways or anyone else,’ said KwaZulu-Natal NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.

She said following investigations by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (DPCI) TRC Unit, guided by the NPA TRC component, the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), through the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in KwaZulu-Natal, Advocate Elaine Harrison, requested the Minister of Justice to have the inquest reopened.

Ramkisson-Kara said the inquest was reopened in April 2025.

‘During this time, the NPA presented new evidence such as crime scene management experts, scene reconstruction experts, medical evidence, forensic analysis, as well as testimonies from SAPS and DPCI investigators and friends and family of Chief Luthuli,’ she said.

During proceedings on Tuesday, Judge Hadebe referred to the original inquest, stating that it was riddled with inconsistencies, omissions and timeline discrepancies.

“She further found that the cause of Luthuli’s death was a fractured skull and cerebral haemorrhage associated with assault,’ said Ramkisson-Kara.

Hadebe found that his death was attributable to omissions as well as assault by members of the Security Branch acting in concert with employees of the South African Railways.

She also found that various individuals, including the station master, train driver, railway police and the fireman, had committed acts of defeating the ends of justice and perjury.

Hadebe further recommended that the DPP fully investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Mbhemu Mnyandu.

Evidence led during inquest proceedings indicated that Mnyandu disappeared after witnessing the assault on Luthuli.

“In these reopened inquest proceedings, the NPA was represented by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Ncedile Dunywa, and Senior State Advocates Annah Chuene, Siyabonga Ngcobo and Xolani Msimango,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

The NPA welcomed the findings of the inquest court.

‘The NPA and its partners will endeavour to address the atrocities of the past and assist in providing closure to the families of the victims of these crimes. We also wish to express our appreciation to the DPCI investigating team for the ongoing working relationship, which has led to success in apartheid-era crime cases,’ Ramkisson-Kara added.

Meanwhile, the ANC welcomed the ruling that Luthuli was brutally beaten to death by apartheid police in 1967.

“This judgment corrects a long-standing distortion of history, overturning the apartheid-era inquest that falsely claimed Chief Luthuli died after being struck by a goods train,’ said ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bengu-Motsiri.

‘The court, presided over by Judge Nompumelelo Hadebe, affirmed that both oral and documentary evidence presented in the reopened inquest do not support those discredited findings. The ruling brings justice, truth and dignity to the memory of one of South Africa’s greatest sons and to all those who suffered under apartheid brutality.’

According to the ANC, Luthuli – a teacher, traditional leader and freedom fighter – served as president-general of the ANC from 1952 until his death in 1967.

He led the movement during one of its most difficult and defining periods: the era of the Defiance Campaign, the drafting of the Freedom Charter and the banning of the ANC.

The party said he was a man of peace, courage and moral conviction, and became the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his non-violent resistance against apartheid.

In addition, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, also welcomed the ruling.

She commended the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for presenting what she said was compelling evidence that challenged the apartheid-era 1967 finding that Luthuli’s death was an accident, instead arguing that it was a murder.

Kubayi said the outcome demonstrates the department’s continued commitment to uncovering the truth and ensuring that justice is served, even in matters that date back decades.

“The courage and persistence of families who have pursued these cases, together with the dedication of institutions like the NPA, deserve our utmost respect,” she added.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL

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