A South African court has ruled that Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Luthuli’s 1967 death was caused by an assault carried out by apartheid police, ending decades of speculation that his passing was accidental.
Luthuli, who was the president of the then-banned African National Congress (ANC) at the time, was officially reported to have died after being struck by a freight train near his home in Groutville, KwaZulu-Natal. The original inquest, held by the apartheid government, concluded that his death was accidental. However, his family and activists have long challenged that version of events, insisting there was foul play involved.
The South African government reopened the inquest earlier this year, following new testimonies and evidence presented by investigators. On Thursday, Judge Nompumelelo Radebe delivered a historic ruling that contradicted the apartheid-era findings.
“It is found that the deceased died as a result of a fractured skull, cerebral haemorrhage and concussion of the brain associated with an assault,” the judge stated.
The judgment confirms long-standing suspicions that Luthuli, a central figure in South Africa’s liberation struggle, was murdered by the apartheid regime. His family expressed relief at the ruling, saying it restores truth and dignity to his legacy.
Albert Luthuli was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his nonviolent resistance to apartheid policies. His leadership of the ANC laid the foundation for South Africa’s democratic transition, which culminated in the end of white-minority rule and the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela as president.
The ruling adds to a growing list of reopened apartheid-era cases that seek to uncover the truth behind politically motivated deaths. It marks a powerful moment of justice, affirming that the fight for truth and accountability continues in post-apartheid South Africa.
