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Court overturns 1967 verdict, declares Luthuli's death a state killing
A South African high court ruled Thursday that anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Luthuli was killed by state security forces in 1967, rejecting the apartheid-era conclusion that his death was accidental. The judgment marks a historic correction of a decades-old cover-up, according to legal observers and Luthuli's family.
Decades of disputed findings
The original inquest, conducted under apartheid rule, claimed Luthuli-then president of the banned African National Congress (ANC)-died after being struck by a freight train near his rural home in KwaZulu-Natal. Activists and relatives had long contested this version, alleging police involvement. In April 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority reopened the case amid persistent calls for accountability.
Judge Nompumelelo Radebe, presiding over the Pietermaritzburg High Court, dismissed the 1967 findings as unsupported by evidence. "It is found that the deceased died as a result of a fractured skull, cerebral haemorrhage, and concussion of the brain associated with an assault," she stated in her ruling. The injuries, she concluded, were inflicted by "members of the security special branch of the South African police," acting with railway employees.
Named suspects and unresolved justice
The judge identified seven men-whose current whereabouts are unknown-as perpetrators or accomplices in Luthuli's murder. While no immediate arrests were announced, the ruling paves the way for potential criminal charges if the individuals are located. Legal experts note the case underscores the challenges of prosecuting apartheid-era crimes, with many suspects now deceased or untraceable.
"This ruling brings justice, truth, and dignity to the memory of one of South Africa's greatest sons and to all those who suffered under apartheid brutality."
Mahlengi Bhengu, ANC national spokesperson
Family and ANC react
Luthuli's family called the decision "the first part of finally getting justice" in a statement read by their spokesperson. The ANC, which Luthuli led during its underground resistance years, hailed the verdict as a "correction of a long-standing distortion of history." Luthuli remains the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in 1960 for his nonviolent opposition to racial segregation.
Broader reckoning with apartheid-era crimes
The Luthuli case is part of a renewed push by South African authorities to address unresolved atrocities. In September, prosecutors reopened the inquest into the 1977 death of Steve Biko, another anti-apartheid icon who died in police custody after torture. President Cyril Ramaphosa also established a judicial commission in May to investigate allegations of obstruction in prosecuting apartheid-era human rights violations.
What's next
The National Prosecuting Authority has not indicated whether further investigations will target surviving officials or institutional records. Activists demand transparency, arguing that delayed justice risks erasing accountability. The Luthuli family's legal team stated they would pursue "all available avenues" to ensure those named in the ruling face consequences.
