The High Court in Pietermaritzburg has heard that the original 1967 inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist, Chief Albert Luthuli, did not have any images of the crime scene or post-mortem photographs.
The court has re-opened the inquest into the death of the former African National Congress (ANC) President.
Official reports suggest that Luthuli was struck by a train, however, the first witness called to the stand, Captain Godisamang Kgamanyane, who began his investigations into Luthuli’s death in 2019, revealed that the original inquest record did not have any images of the crime scene or the post-mortem results.
Kgamanyane says, “I also attempted to trace any photographs relating to the late Chief Albert Luthuli. As none were reflected, it has been part of the inquest record. I was looking specifically for the crime scene or post-mortem photographs without any success. It means there were no photographs. The post-mortem was attached to this.”
Yesterday, the court held the first sitting of the re-opening of the inquest.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) indicated that it intended to sketch a picture of the circumstances surrounding Luthuli’s passing which exposes collusion in the initial inquest into his death.
The State is expected to call around 27 witnesses to establish the facts.
ANC’s Convener of the Provincial Task Team, Jeff Radebe, who attended the court sitting says, “Even from the very beginning our leaders and the World at large never believed that this was an accident by goods train.”
“We always suspected that this was an orchestrated brutal murder of the president, now the prosecutor Mr Ntunja and the expert are outlining step by step of what transpired, including the collaboration of the then magistrate who presided over the inquest that he collaborated with the Secretariat of Justice.”
Radebe adds, “May I say Secretariat of the injustice of Apartheid to cover up this murder as if it is a goods train accident and the expert now is indicating as well that how does a goods train accident give rise to defensive wounds in the hands so the truth is really coming out.”-Additional reporting by Fanele Mhlongo.
VIDEO | Inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli:
