Chief Luthuli's daughter-in-law disputes reports he was 'half blind' before his death

JOHANNESBURG - The daughter-in-law of the late African National Congress (ANC) struggle stalwart, Chief Albert Luthuli, has disputed newspaper reports that claimed he was “half blind” before his death.

Wilhelmina Luthuli was on Wednesday testifying in the recently reopened inquest into Albert’s 1967 death.

The inquest is being held at the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) High Court in Pietermaritzburg.

At the heart of the dispute are claims about how the anti-apartheid activist died, with the apartheid government listing his death as accidental.

However, Wilhelmina said it’s not possible that the 69-year-old man, in good health at the time, could have walked in front of a moving train.

“I take it that you would not agree with the newspaper reports that would describe him as half blind?” she was asked.

Wilhelmina said, “I don’t agree with the newspaper reports because the train is so big, how could he not see something so big if he could read the font of the Bible?”

ALSO READ:

HOW COULD CHIEF LUTHULI NOT HEAR A STEAM TRAIN?

Wilhelmina further said it's improbable that Chief Albert would not have heard a steam train heading towards him, disputing claims he died after walking in front of a train.

She said a steam train in the 1960s was loud and would shake the ground as it moved.

“If he could hear a baby crying, across the room the passage, how could he not hear a steam engine, which is so noisy, how could he not even feel the tremors that are made by the train or even vibrations? That’s what I am trying to refute (in my statement).”

On Tuesday, a detective in the case told the court they were not able to trace the driver and conductor of the train that killed Chief Albert.