20-05-2025
Luthuli inquest to be extended to June to hear more witnesses
Prosecutors in the reopened inquest into the death of ANC president-general chief Albert Luthuli in the Pietermaritzburg high court have asked for an extension of the matter to call more witnesses.
The National Prosecuting Authority reopened inquests into the deaths of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Luthuli and anti-apartheid lawyer Griffiths Mxenge last month.
Luthuli's inquest, which started on April 14, was due to finish on May 16 but has been extended to June for further evidence.
Luthuli, who joined the ANC in 1944 and later became the president-general of the organisation, died on July 21 1967. It was widely reported he died soon after being struck by a goods train.
An inquest held in September 1967 found there was no evidence which disclosed any criminal culpability on the part of any employees of the South African Railways or anyone else.
Advocate Annah Chuene said the state intended to call more witnesses, but didn't elaborate on who they were.
On Tuesday the inquest did not sit due to the unavailability of a witness scheduled to testify.
Chuene asked for an adjournment until Wednesday.
On Monday the inquest heard the evidence of Thulani Stanley Thusi, a heritage educator at Luthuli Museum in Groutville.
Thusi told the inquest about the proceedings of Luthuli's funeral as he was taking pictures for archival purposes. He said some struggle heroes at Luthuli's funeral were later killed, but didn't provide further details.
The reopened inquest has heard evidence from a number of witnesses including police, locomotive experts and KwaZulu-Natal chief pathologist Dr Sibusiso Ntsele. Most of them gave evidence that contradicted the 1967 inquest which concluded Luthuli died after he was struck by a train.
Locomotive expert Lesley Charles Labuschagne said Luthuli was assaulted and his body taken to a railway track so it would look like he was hit by a train.
Labuschagne's evidence was supported by Ntsele who said Luthuli had defensive wounds. Ntsele also said the postmortem report conducted in 1967 was substandard. The postmortem was done in a hurry while his body was still warm.
The inquest for Mxenge was postponed to June for witness preparation.
Prosecutor Siyabonga Ngcobo called for the matter to be postponed to give witnesses time to prepare for the hearing. Ngcobo said they have subpoenaed several witnesses, including Vlakplaas askari assassin Joe Mamasela to testify.
