The Luthuli family has welcomed the reopening of the inquest into Chief Albert Luthuli's death, seeing it as an opportunity to revise the historical narrative.
The anti-apartheid activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner reportedly died on July 21, 1967, when he was struck by a train near his home in Groutville, on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, on the recommendation of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), has extended similar measures to the deaths of prominent anti-apartheid lawyer Griffiths Musenge and civil rights leader Bouyi Manti, and will hold inquests. announced the decision to reopen.
For more than 50 years, the Luthuli family has questioned the results of the apartheid government's official inquest and sought to uncover the truth.
The administration's report concluded that Luthuli was struck and killed by a train on a railroad bridge near his home in Groutville.
The Ministry of Justice acknowledged that speculation surrounding the incident persisted and said the exact circumstances remained unclear.
News of the reopening of the inquest followed a wreath-laying ceremony at Luthuli's grave attended by family members over the weekend. Luthuli's grandson, Sandile Luthuli, said the unresolved issues remained a sore point for the family.
The reopening of the inquest into the death of Chief Justice Albert Luthuli is welcomed.
“This is about correcting the historical record and, hopefully, debunking the myths surrounding the existence of a mysterious train accident and solving a historical conundrum about one of this country's revered leaders,” Sandile said. I hope that it will be done,” he said.
The Ministry of Justice previously said the National Prosecuting Authority was working with experts to reconstruct the crime scene. Sandile maintained that the family supports the investigative approach taken.
He says: “Certainly, it's been 57 years since he passed away, but there are ways and means by which these events can be pieced together. I think the NPA took a scientific approach to investigating this matter. ” An important factor is that my grandfather has two surviving daughters, who are two key people who can provide perspective from their family background. ”
In addition to Luthuli's case, the NPA is also investigating the murder of prominent Durban human rights lawyer Mlungisi Griffith Musenge. Mr Musenge had been stabbed more than 40 times and was found dead on November 19, 1981 in a sports field in Umlazi, south of Durban.
Although an initial inquest into his death failed to identify the perpetrator, subsequent investigations revealed that the order to kill Mkusenge came from Dirk Coetzee, the self-styled commander of Vlakplaas.
Coetzee and his associates Armond Nofomela and David Sikaranga were granted amnesty for Musenge's murder. However, the Ministry of Justice highlighted new evidence showing that important information had been omitted from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the initial inquest.
Story: René Heine