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IOL News
01-05-2025
- IOL News
Inquest into Albert Luthuli's death: A witness recounts the final moments at Stanger Hospital
The inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli is continuing at the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Image: Stock images A former hospital clerk who saw Inkosi Albert Luthuli being brought into Stanger Hospital shortly before he succumbed to his injuries, recalled this week how he recognised the face of the Struggle hero. Mohamed Manjoo said that on realising that it was Luthuli who had just been brought in by an ambulance, he immediately alerted the hospital staff, who jumped into action. He said that soon after the news of the historical death, he called an editor of the Sunday Tribune and ANC officials. Manjoo, 81, grew up in Stanger before relocating to Johannesburg, where he is currently living. At the time of Luthuli's death, he worked as the hospital outpatient clerk. Manjoo became emotional and cried, leading to the adjournment of the proceeding on Tuesday. He was the third witness to testify at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, where the inquest into Luthuli's death is being held, to speak about a personal encounter and direct communication with the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who died on July 21, 1967. Others were Nozizwe Mabaso-Mhlongo, 67, who as a child lived with her parents at a shack near Luthuli's Nonhlevu general dealers, and Luthuli's daughter-in-law, Wilhelmina May Luthuli, 77. An initial inquiry, which was presided over by Magistrate CI Boswell of the Stanger Magistrate's Court at the time, concluded in 1967 that the ANC president-general was hit by a train and ruled out political motive. The inquest was initiated by the National Prosecuting Authority to prove that Luthuli was killed by apartheid operatives because of his political activities. Manjoo, who was 24 years old when Luthuli was brought in on a stretcher at the hospital, stated that the hospital incorrectly recorded that Luthuli was brought in by an ambulance driver named Peter Papayya; in fact, the driver was Zwane, whose first name he could not recall. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He said that after he had relocated to Johannesburg, he learnt that there was a book called 'In the Shadow of Chief Albert Luthuli: Reflections of Goolam Suleman' by Logan Naidoo that was to be published. He said he offered to edit the book using his encounter with Luthuli. 'In the book, it is mentioned that Peter Papayya was an ambulance driver, which is incorrect to the best of my knowledge. 'Mr Peter Papayya was the transport superintendent for ambulance drivers, and on the day of the incident, he did not drive an ambulance, but Mr Zwane did, together with his assistant, whose name I have forgotten. 'The incorrect information was never corrected,' he said. Manjoo said on the day, he received a call from the Groutville train station master requesting an ambulance for a native who had been 'knocked down by a train'. 'I immediately contacted the transport manager. About an hour later, the ambulance (with Zwane the driver) brought the 'patient in on a trolley'.' He said he noticed that the victim, who seemed to be in pain, was moving his hands in the air and turning his head from side to side. Manjoo said he stared at the victim, who was waiting in front of him for a while to be inspected by a nurse. 'I noticed that the patient looked very much like Nkosi (Luthuli).' He said after he had been taken to a ward, he phoned Luthuli's close companion in the ANC, Goolam Hajee Suleman, Luthuli's family members, and a Sunday Tribune editor. He said when it was confirmed that the patient was an internationally acclaimed peace award winner, 'the hospital burst into action'. He said on normal days, when the hospital was not busy with emergencies, outpatients' doctors would take an extended lunch break, and the hospital superintendent would only come in for some inspection of patients. 'However, this time, not only was the superintendent (Dr Gregerson) in the consulting room, but Dr G Misra (on call and the district surgeon) also,' said Manjoo. He said the hospital treated Luthuli with discrimination compared to white patients, who would be immediately transferred to Addington Hospital in Durban if their condition was serious and required hospitalisation. 'The team battled with him for over two hours before Dr Misra came out to inform everyone that 'The Chief was no more!' Manjoo said he was able to notice that the patient on the trolley was Luthuli because during his high school years, he became acquainted with him through the parents of his friend, who was also his classmate Yusus Mahomed, whose father EV Mahomed was 'a committed Communist and very close to senior ANC officials'. He said Luthuli would often visit the Mahomed family, whom he (Manjoo) also frequented. Through his close relationship with the Mahomeds, he was introduced to the ANC Youth League. 'I engaged in discussions a few times with both the individuals (Nkosi and EV) and was given a copy of 'Introduction to Philosophy', which I read avidly,' he said. Manjoo said he also told Luthuli about his achievements as a speech writer who performed well in school competitions. He stated that as the relationship grew stronger, he would use his father's car to drive Luthuli around, avoiding being detected by the apartheid special agents. He said that through his association with the ANC at a young age, he would be engaged in the Free Mandela campaign in Stanger. However, after he was employed at the hospital, the political activities took a back seat. He said he knew Luthuli as a person with diabetes and who suffered from high blood pressure and who would sometimes feel dizzy, and 'in my initial reaction (Luthuli's passing away), I thought it was a distinct possibility that Nkosi suffered one of those bouts of dizziness.' 'That gust probably would have made him slip, or lose his balance, and fall into the path of the train.' He said he observed that Luthuli was neither disfigured nor bleeding profusely from multiple external injuries, and was semi-conscious and moving his hands and turning his head. 'The inference is: the train must have 'nicked' him and thrown him back onto the side of the track. The inquest would continue on Monday.
The Herald
30-04-2025
- The Herald
Luthuli reopened inquest adjourned after witness breaks down
An inquest into the mysterious death of the late ANC president-general Chief Albert Luthuli had to be adjourned in the Pietermaritzburg high court on Tuesday when a witness who was testifying became emotional. Mohomed Manjoo, who was a clerk at Stanger hospital where Luthuli was admitted after he was found injured on a railway line, broke down when he gave his testimony. Manjoo became emotional when describing a situation at the hospital after Luthuli's admission. He said one or two nurses cried when they saw Luthuli being stretchered into a ward. Shortly after describing the nurses' situation at the hospital at a time, Manjoo broke down. Judge Nompumelelo Radebe ordered the adjournment and asked the court to provide him with water. Manjoo is expected to resume his evidence on Wednesday. In his earlier evidence, Manjoo told the court he didn't see any injuries on Luthuli when he was admitted at the hospital. 'Mr Zwane, the ambulance driver who was pushing his stretcher, came past by my desk in the reception; they were about 1m away from me. I stood up and saw that it was the chief who was being stretchered and I also noticed that he had no visible injuries in his body,' said Manjoo. He disputed a claim by Zwane that Luthuli was hit by a train. 'The condition of Luthuli when he was admitted at the hospital didn't suggest that he was hit by a train; if he was hit by a train he was going to be in a critical situation,' he said. Manjoo said Luthuli was not conscious when admitted to the hospital. 'He was able to look around him but unable to talk,' he said, adding that he also did not notice any visible injuries on him. He added that there was also no blood on his stretcher. Manjoo said after he realised that it was Luthuli who was injured, he phoned some ANC comrades in Stanger and an editor of a KZN-based Sunday newspaper, informing them about the matter. Another witness who took the stand on Tuesday was Nozizwe Mhlongo-Mabaso. Mhlongo-Mabaso regarded Luthuli as her grandfather, because her father was a manager at his shop. Mhlongo-Mabaso said she was 10 when Luthuli died. She told the court that her father was one of the people who cleaned Luthuli's blood where he was found injured. She said that people who went to the scene also found a plank — the type often used in building — near his body. Mhlongo-Mabaso reiterated evidence by earlier witnesses that Luthuli was not partially blind and deaf. 'Mkhulu Luthuli was able to read a Bible without any problems, [so] it was unlikely he would not have seen or heard a steam train coming towards him,' she said. The apartheid government claimed that Luthuli was hit by a goods train in 1967, a claim his family is disputing. The inquest continues. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
29-04-2025
- TimesLIVE
Luthuli reopened inquest adjourned after witness breaks down
An inquest into the mysterious death of the late ANC president-general chief Albert Luthuli had to be adjourned in the Pietermaritzburg high court on Tuesday after a witness who was giving his testimony became emotional. Mohomed Manjoo, who was a clerk at Stanger hospital where Luthuli was admitted after he was found injured on a railway line, broke down when he gave his testimony. Manjoo became emotional when describing a situation at the hospital after Luthuli's admission. He said one or two nurses cried when they saw Luthuli being stretchered into a ward. Shortly after describing the nurses' situation at the hospital at a time, Manjoo broke down. Judge Nompumelelo Radebe ordered the adjournment and asked the court to provide him with water. Manjoo is expected to resume his evidence on Wednesday. In his earlier evidence, Manjoo told the court he didn't see any injuries on Luthuli when he was admitted at the hospital. 'Mr Zwane, the ambulance driver who was pushing his stretcher, came past by my desk in the reception; they were about 1m away from me. I stood up and saw that it was the chief who was being stretchered and I also noticed that he had no visible injuries in his body,' said Manjoo. He disputed a claim by Zwane that Luthuli was hit by a train. 'The condition of Luthuli when he was admitted at the hospital didn't suggest that he was hit by a train; if he was hit by a train he was going to be in a critical situation,' he said. Manjoo said Luthuli was not conscious when admitted to the hospital. 'He was able to look around him but unable to talk,' he said, adding that he also did not notice any visible injuries on him. He added that there was also no blood on his stretcher. Manjoo said after he realised that it was Luthuli who was injured, he phoned some ANC comrades in Stanger and an editor of a KZN-based Sunday newspaper, informing them about the matter. Another witness who took the stand on Tuesday was Nozizwe Mhlongo-Mabaso. Mhlongo-Mabaso regarded Luthuli as her grandfather, because her father was a manager at his spice shop. Mhlongo-Mabaso said she was 10 when Luthuli died. She told the court that her father was one of the people who cleaned Luthuli's blood where he was found injured. She said that people who went to the scene also found a plank — the type often used in building — near his body. Mhlongo-Mabaso also reiterated evidence by earlier witnesses that Luthuli was not partially blind and deaf. 'Mkhulu Luthuli was able to read a bible without any problems, [so] it was unlikely he would not have seen or heard a steam train coming towards him,' she said. The apartheid government claimed that Luthuli was hit by a goods train in 1967, a claim his family is disputing. The inquest continues.
