Latest news with #MthunziLuthuli
IOL News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Activist Mthunzi Luthuli announces #CyrilMustFall protests in Pretoria
Mthunzi Luthuli of the Preogressive Civics Congress said permission has been granted for the #CyrilMustFall march set to hit the streets of Pretoria on Friday. Image: Jonisayi Maromo/IOL Different civic rights groups have announced the #CyrilMustFall protests which are set to hit the streets of Pretoria on the International Nelson Mandela Day, on Friday. Mthunzi Luthuli from the Progressive Civics Congress told reporters in Midrand that marchers will walk from Marabastad to the Union Buildings, demanding an immediate resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa. 'This initiative of this march is an initiative of Defend SA but it is a march supported by UCM, which stands for United Civics Movement, an umbrella federation for civic movements. My organisation Progressive Civics Congress is part of UCM. We are making this announcement on behalf of Defend SA and UCM,' he said. On Friday (today) the symbolic Nelson Mandela Day, thousands of determined South Africans from across all provinces will gather in Pretoria for the #CyrilMustFall march to the Union Buildings. This national protest is a bold declaration by the people against the ongoing decay of leadership, governance and accountability under President Cyril Ramaphosa.' 'Cyril Ramaphosa's rise to the Union Buildings has been characterised by corruption, from the very beginning, starting with his irregular election as ANC president at the Nasrec conference in 2017. The process was bankrolled by the controversial CR17 campaign fund, the details of which remain sealed and hidden from public scrutiny,' he said. 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. 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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. Next Stay Close ✕ Luthuli said while at the helm of South Africa, Ramaphosa has failed to account for the Phala Phala scandal. He insisted that South Africa is in crisis mode, with unemployment at an all-time high. 'Illegal immigration is out of control, and service delivery has collapsed. The recent explosive revelations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi have only confirmed what South Africans already know, that this administration is corrupt to the core and that our institutions have been captured by political and private business interests at the expense of public safety, justice and national pride. He said the protesters will be demanding an 'immediate resignation' from Ramaphosa, and firing and prosecution of corrupt police officers and politicians. On Wednesday, IOL reported that the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has formally delivered a letter of demand to President Ramaphosa, calling on him to resign from office by 9am on Friday. In the letter seen by IOL, among other things, the MK party tells Ramaphosa that the decision to appoint Professor Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police is in contravention of the Constitution, because the academic is not a member of Cabinet or the National Assembly. MK party national spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, said Ramaphosa must resign in honour of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the founding commander-in-chief of uMkhonto weSizwe - the military wing. 'Should Ramaphosa fail to heed this call, the MK party will pursue a range of lawful and peaceful actions, including constitutional litigation, a motion of no confidence in Parliament and rolling mass action nationwide,' said Ndlela. 'These steps reflect the will of the people, who, through democratic means, delivered a decisive electoral verdict against the African National Congress under Ramaphosa's leadership.' He said, despite the 'clear message' from the electorate, the will of the people has been undermined by opportunistic political alliances. IOL News
IOL News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Zambians will flock to SA if Edgar Lungu is buried here, says Progressive Forces of South Africa
Mthunzi Luthuli from the Progressive Civics Congress sitting next to Rachek Makhubele, secretary-general of Defend South Africa as several civic organisations gathered under the umbrella of Progressive Forces of South Africa, demanding that the body of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu be repatriated to his home country. Image: Jonisayi Maromo/IOL The body of former president, Edgar Chagwa Lungu must be repatriated to his home country and buried among his people. This was the overall sentiment expressed in Midrand on Thursday as several South African civic movements gathered for a joint media briefing under the banner of Progressive Forces of South Africa. 'Our duty is to protect the country from internal and external threats. On the issue of Mr Edgar Lungu, this comes as a threat to South Africa as a nation. The question is, when a person of the stature of Mr Lungu is being buried, whose flag is being lowered? Is it our South African flag, or is it a Zambian flag? This is not anybody,' said Rachel Makhubele, secretary-general of Defend South Africa. 'He deserves dignity as the former president of Zambia. The issue of the family, as Defend SA we stand for transparency and accountability. The family should go back home and account for those crimes that we hear. South Africa is not a country where we harbour criminals. The government should try to control the level of criminals that are entering our South African country. 'We have the issue of illegal immigrants in South Africa, it is not a lie. We are dealing with this issue. If a person of Mr Lungu's status is buried in South Africa, it will encourage many Zambian citizens to come here, saying they are coming to see their president's grave. At the end of the day, they end up staying in South Africa,' she said. Makhubele insisted that she was not being xenophobic, but her organisation is 'trying to protect what belongs to us'. 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 ✕ Ad Loading (From left) Mthetho Ngcukayitobi, Lebogang Shovhote, Bonang Sepoloane of Progressive Forces of South Africa sitting next to Mthunzi Luthuli from the Progressive Civics Congress demanding that the body of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu be repatriated to his home country. Image: Jonisayi Maromo/IOL The government of the Republic of Zambia last month said it will abide by the ruling of South African courts in the tense standoff over the burial of the mortal remains of the country's former president. One of Africa's deepest episodes of political rivalry and animosity is playing out before South African courts, with Lungu's family saying one of the former president's dying wishes was that his successor and political nemesis, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, should not go anywhere near his body. However, state funeral arrangements made in Zambia, in anticipation of receiving the former president's mortal remains in Lilongwe, had Hichilema at the center, as the commander-in-chief of the Zambian Defence Forces. The Zambian government had planned State funeral arrangements in Zambia, in anticipation of receiving the former president's mortal remains in Lilongwe, with Hichilema at the center of the ceremony. Bonang Sepoloane, national organiser of Progressive Force of South Africa, said the family of the late president has to go back to Lusaka and answer regarding the charges before courts. 'As South Africans, we know very well, we have the issue of land since colonisation and also apartheid. We have land claims that are being claimed via ancestry lineage. Graves are part of the instruments that we use when we want to claim the land. In the future, we are going to have an issue of Lungus in the generation to come and claim land in South Africa, pointing to their grandfather's grave. She acknowledged that Zambia played a pivotal role towards the independence of different African nations, including South Africa. Former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu's death has triggered a bitter dispute between his family and the Zambian government led by President Hakainde Hichilema. Image: File Zambia still has graves of several South African freedom fighters who were exiled during apartheid. Some of the skeletal remains of the freedom fighters have recently been repatriated back to South Africa. 'We are not fighting the Zambians. What we will not allow is the current African leaders who loot coffers of their people, to come and enjoy the loot in peace, in South Africa. We know very well that African leaders have been looting their countries, and going to enjoy these resources in Europe and the West. 'With this case, we have now found that there are more looters who have found a haven in our country South Africa,' said Sepoloane. Indigenous monarch King Khalo la Bataung Jacob Hlalele of the Bataung ba Hlalele Royal Kingdom with Mthetho Ngcukayithobi of the Progressive Forces of South Africa at a media briefing on former president of Zambia Edgar Lungu. Image: Jonisayi Maromo/IOL Indigenous monarch King Khalo la Bataung Jacob Hlalele of the Bataung ba Hlalele Royal Kingdom sent condolences to the Lungu family and the people of Zambia. He however insisted that Lungu's body must be buried in Zambia. 'I am saying, it will be a taboo if we can let the Zambian president be buried here. Everybody, according to the traditions, culture and rituals, must be buried where the elders' bones and graves are. No negotiations. I do not need to say anything. This is our people and this is what we know,' he said. 'Let the Zambian president go and be buried where his ancestors are close.' Mthunzi Luthuli from the Progressive Civics Congress also added his voice, saying Lungu should be buried amongst his people, particularly in the designated area reserved for leaders. "It cannot be that people come from foreign countries to bury their presidents here in South Africa," he said. Last month, IOL reported that the High Court in Pretoria had unexpectedly halted plans by the family to bury the former president in South Africa. The court ruling was delivered just moments before a private ceremony was set to commence on Wednesday. The court ruled that a full hearing on the merits of the case will take place on 4 August. IOL News
The Herald
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald
Postmortem conducted on Luthuli was of poor quality: KZN chief pathologist
KwaZulu-Natal chief pathologist Dr Sibusiso Ntsele has described as 'poor quality' the postmortem report conducted in 1967 on ANC president-general Chief Albert Luthuli. Testifying at the reopened inquest in the Pietermaritzburg high court on Wednesday, Ntsele told the court that the report was not properly packed, adding that it was compiled by people who were not competent to do it. He said the report lacked so many basis which raised concerns over it credibility. 'The postmortem was done 90 minutes after Luthuli had died, which was not proper as his body was still warm at that time. I do not know why they rushed to conduct his postmortem,' he said. Ntsele said Luthuli was a large person so the postmortem was not supposed to be done in a hurry. He questioned why Luthuli was not transferred to a specialised hospital as his injuries required quality medical attention. Ntsele's testimony correlates with that of Luthuli's grandson Mthunzi. The court heard that Luthuli was admitted to Stanger Hospital, less than an hour from King Edward Hospital VIII in Durban which had highly experienced neurologists. 'Non-availability of clinical records such as nursing and doctor's notes leave uncertainty regarding the quality of care Luthuli received at Stanger provincial hospital. It remains unclear why Luthuli was not taken to King Edward hospital particularly when a neurosurgeon was required. 'Neurosurgical management and rehabilitation via Dr Yube would not have been optimised because Stanger hospital was not suited for a neurosurgical patient but King Edward was,' said Ntsele. He said the fact that Dr Yube was called suggests that a decision for specialist care was reached by those involved in Luthuli's clinical management. 'It therefore remains a concerned that a district surgeon performed the autopsy instead of a forensic pathologist,' said Ntsele. He said the injuries on Luthuli were 'defensive wounds', not train injuries. The inquest continues on Thursday. TimesLIVE
