KEY POINTS
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Albert Mthunzi Luthuli, grandson of Chief Albert Luthuli, has suggested international involvement in his grandfather’s death, hinting at potential collusion between the apartheid government and foreign powers.
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Mthunzi expressed frustration at the 58-year delay in reopening the inquest into Luthuli’s death, emphasizing the hope for closure despite the passage of time.
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The testimony revealed allegations of local informants and Special Branch involvement, as well as claims of a person offering information for payment, deepening suspicions of a cover-up.
Albert Mthunzi Luthuli, the grandson of the late ANC president-general Chief Albert Luthuli, has hinted that international involvement may have played a role in his grandfather’s mysterious death in 1967.
During his testimony at the Pietermaritzburg High Court this week, Luthuli suggested that the apartheid government, possibly in collusion with an international partner, might have been involved in planning the assassination of the iconic anti-apartheid activist.
“One of the famous international countries had too much interest in South Africa at the time. As a family we believe that country had an influence even though it may not have participated in the actual execution of murder,” said Mthunzi after his appearance in court on Thursday.
Sowetanlive reports that tis comments add a new layer of intrigue to the ongoing inquest into Luthuli’s death, which had previously been ruled an accident when he was allegedly struck by a goods train at Gledhow station, located on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
Luthuli: A legacy under investigation
Luthuli’s anti-apartheid activities and his status as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1960 had placed him under significant scrutiny, both locally and internationally.
His vocal opposition to the apartheid regime made him a marked target for enemies both within South Africa and abroad. Mthunzi believes that the international focus on Luthuli, especially after he received the Nobel Peace Prize, may have attracted attention from foreign powers opposed to the liberation movement in South Africa.
“International countries that were supporting the apartheid government were against forces who were fighting for liberation, and him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway drew international eyes, including those of enemies,” Mthunzi explained. He expressed his frustration with the long delay in reopening the inquest, which had remained dormant for 58 years.
“We hoped that soon after 1994, there was going to be something taking place in terms of reconducting an inquest into the death of my grandfather, but nothing happened,” he said, referencing the end of apartheid and the expectation that the truth would eventually surface. “Many of the people who may have been implicated are late by now,” he added, highlighting the painful reality that those responsible may never face justice.
Despite the years of silence, the family remains hopeful that the truth will finally emerge.
“The family is bitter that up until now, we do not know who killed our grandfather, but at the same time we are happy that maybe at the end of the inquest, the truth will come out,” Mthunzi said. His comments reflect both the family’s grief and their desire for closure after decades of uncertainty.
In his affidavit, Mthunzi also mentioned an individual who had approached the family, claiming to have knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Luthuli’s death. However, this person demanded payment for the information, and his offer was rejected. Mthunzi also suggested that the police’s Special Branch, the notorious security police of the apartheid era, may have been involved in orchestrating Luthuli’s murder in collusion with local informants from Groutville, where the Luthuli family is from.
“There was a local person who was an informer for the Special Branch,” Mthunzi alleged. This claim further deepens the suspicions surrounding the role of local authorities in the cover-up of Luthuli’s death.
The court proceedings will continue, with Mthunzi set to provide further testimony on April 24 and 25. Legal experts have noted that the inquest, though decades overdue, is a vital step in uncovering the full extent of the alleged cover-up and the involvement of various parties in Luthuli’s tragic end.
