Apartheid police beat Chief Albert Luthuli to death, rules KZN High Court

The KwaZulu-Natal High Court has ruled former African National Congress (ANC) President General Chief Albert Luthuli was beaten to death by apartheid police, working in conjunction with employees from the then South African Railway Company.

The court has also set aside the 1967 inquest that found Luthuli died because of being hit by a goods train.

Judge Nompumelelo Hadebe said oral and documentary evidence presented during the re-opened inquest does not support the 1976 inquest findings.

“The finding the ruling of the Magistrate CI Boswell, dated September 1967 at the Stanger Magistrates Court, is set aside. As to the cause and likely cause of death, it is found that the deceased died as a result of a fractured skull, cerebral haemorrhage and concussion of the brain associated with assault.”

After the judgment was read out, the Luthuli family in attendance in court were visibly relieved as they hugged each other.

For 58 years, they’ve been trying to prove that Luthuli was murdered and didn’t die accidentally.

Family spokesperson Sandile Luthuli said this is the first part of finally getting justice.

“More than that, it [the judgment] ascribes liability to certain persons who, through their acts and or omissions, became complicit in the coverup of the death of Chief Albert Luthuli.”

Judge Hadebe said the people responsible for Luthuli’s death cannot be brought to justice as they have either died or cannot be found by police.

“[In cases] where those who are found to be responsible for the death of a person are known, their identity in some form should never remain hidden forever. In this matter before us all the culprits have since died.”

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