Families and nation seek long-overdue closure as court revisits historic deaths.
Long-awaited inquests into the deaths of anti-apartheid stalwarts Chief Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge are set to commence at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday, marking a pivotal moment in South Africa’s pursuit of historical justice.
Legal teams are expected to re-examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two icons, decades after their passing under suspicious and unresolved conditions.
Chief Albert Luthuli, the former ANC president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was reportedly killed by a train near his home in Groutville, KwaDukuza, in 1967. However, members of his family have long questioned the official version of events.
“It will never be easy. It’s been 58 years since our grandfather died, and in that time, our family has lived with unanswered questions,” said Sandile Luthuli, the late leader’s grandson.
He emphasised that the inquest represents more than just a personal quest for truth: “There’s closure to be found not only by our family but also by his organisation, the ANC, and the country as a whole.”
The Luthuli family confirmed their attendance in court and expressed hope that historical evidence—some of it dating back nearly six decades—will now be more thoroughly interrogated.
“We are hoping that some of the evidence from 1967 will finally be put under the microscope. Hearing testimonies and seeing the evidence firsthand will be an important part of this journey,” Luthuli added.
Also under the spotlight is the brutal 1981 killing of civil rights lawyer Griffiths Mxenge, whose mutilated body—bearing 45 lacerations—was discovered in a field in Umlazi. A previous inquest in 1983 failed to identify those responsible for the attack.
The reopened inquests form part of a broader effort by the National Prosecuting Authority to resolve apartheid-era cases that were neglected or inadequately investigated.
As the court proceedings begin, families, supporters, and observers alike wait with cautious hope that the truth—buried for too long—may finally come to light.