A South African court has overturned decades of official claims, ruling that the 1967 death of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Luthuli was the result of an assault by apartheid police. The original inquest, conducted under the apartheid government, concluded that Luthuli died after being struck by a freight train while walking along a railway line. However, activists and his family have long disputed this narrative, prompting the South African government to reopen the case earlier this year. On Thursday, Judge Nompumelelo Radebe ruled that Luthuli’s death was caused by a fractured skull, cerebral hemorrhage, and brain concussion resulting from an assault. The judge attributed the assault to members of the South African police’s security special branch, acting in collaboration with employees of the South African Railway Company. Seven men were named as perpetrators or accomplices, though their current whereabouts remain unknown. If located, they could face criminal charges. Luthuli, who led the then-banned African National Congress (ANC), won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his leadership in the fight against apartheid. His family and the ANC have welcomed the ruling, describing it as a correction of historical distortion and a step toward justice for apartheid-era crimes. This case is part of broader efforts by South African authorities to address unresolved apartheid-era crimes, including the recent reopening of the inquest into the death of anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko. President Cyril Ramaphosa has also established a judicial commission to investigate allegations of improper influence in delaying or hindering such cases.
Apartheid police assault killed Nobel laureate Luthuli, South Africa court rules
