Luthuli’s grandson disputes train driver’s account at inquest

The grandson of the late African National Congress (ANC) president Chief Albert Luthuli has told the Pietermaritzburg High Court that the explanation given by the train driver surrounding his grandfather’s death is contradictory.

Mthunzi Luthuli is continuing with his testimony, which he did not conclude last week, before the reopened inquest into Chief Luthuli’s death.

Luthuli died in July 1967, after he was reportedly struck by a goods train in Groutville, KwaZulu-Natal.

The family wants the court to overturn the findings of the original inquest that ruled Luthuli’s death an accident.

A visibly frustrated Mthunzi lashed out at the ANC over the delays in the reopening of the Inquest into his grandfather’s death. “There was a deal between the Nationalist government and the ANC not to prosecute these cases,” he says.

His family has never believed the version of the Apartheid government that his death was an accident, as per the findings of the initial inquest.

Close to six decades later, the State reopened the inquest. Luthuli’s grandson, whilst on the witness stand, expressed his displeasure about the delays. He told the court that the inquest should have been reopened earlier.

VIDEO | Inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli

Witnesses

Luthuli’s grandson informed the court that the evidence given during the initial inquest does not correspond with the injuries his grandfather sustained.

“It is reported that Luthuli spoke to two girls before entering and crossing the bridge. One of those girls was a senior staff nurse at Stanger Hospital a few years ago. Attempts were made to contact her, but investigations were cut short due to other urgent commitments. The other schoolgirl reportedly lives in Mpumalanga now.

“According to the girl from Mpumalanga, she saw a large steel object resembling a shovel or pickaxe protruding from the train, which struck Luthuli at the back of the head. She described how Luthuli was momentarily dragged towards the train before being thrown onto the side rail. The girls became frightened and ran away,” Luthuli explains.