Deputy President Paul Mashatile welcomed a KwaZulu-Natal High Court ruling that found former ANC leader and Nobel laureate Chief Albert Luthuli died from assault injuries at the hands of apartheid police, not from a train strike. Judge Nompumelelo Hadebe issued the judgment on Oct. 30, 2025, overturning a 1967 inquest. The National Prosecuting Authority had reopened the case in April 2025 after years of pressure from the family and activists. The court cited forensic findings that Luthuli’s wounds matched blunt force trauma, along with testimony from relatives, experts, and investigators who said the scene appeared staged.
The judgment named several individuals tied to the cover-up, noted that most are deceased or untraceable, and called for an inquiry into the disappearance of alleged witness Mbhemu Myandu. The ANC hailed the ruling as a moral victory that restores the record and honors Luthuli’s legacy as a leader of nonviolent resistance. Officials said the decision supports broader efforts to confront apartheid-era abuses and seek full truth as South Africa marks three decades of democracy.
The judgment named several individuals tied to the cover-up, noted that most are deceased or untraceable, and called for an inquiry into the disappearance of alleged witness Mbhemu Myandu. The ANC hailed the ruling as a moral victory that restores the record and honors Luthuli’s legacy as a leader of nonviolent resistance. Officials said the decision supports broader efforts to confront apartheid-era abuses and seek full truth as South Africa marks three decades of democracy.
