Grandson hints at international involvement in Albert Luthuli’s death

The grandson of late ANC president-general Chief Albert Luthuli has hinted the family believes the apartheid government may have colluded with an international partner in planning Luthuli’s murder.

Shortly after he testified at his grandfather’s inquest in the Pietermaritzburg high court on Thursday, Albert Mthunzi Luthuli, 58, said: “One of the famous international countries had too much interest in South Africa at the time. As a family we believe that country had an influence even though it may not have participated in the actual execution of murder.”

The apartheid government claimed Luthuli was hit by a goods train at Gledhow station on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal in 1967.

Mthunzi said his grandfather’s anti-apartheid activities made him a target internationally, which invited enemies of him and his cause in outside countries to take an interest.

“International countries that were supporting the apartheid government were against forces who were fighting for liberation, and him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway drew international eyes, including those of enemies,” he said.

Mthunzi expressed concern at the delay — 58 years — in the reopening of the inquest this week. “We hoped that soon after 1994, there was going to be something taking place in terms of reconducting an inquest into the death of my grandfather, but nothing happened,” he said.

“Many of the people who may have been implicated are late by now,” he said.

While it was a bittersweet moment for the family, they have hope for closure.

“The family is bitter that up until now, we do not know who killed our grandfather but at the same time we are happy that maybe at the end of the inquest the truth will come out,” he said.

In his affidavit, Mthunzi said there was an Afrikaner person who came to the family and claimed to have knowledge of how his grandfather was killed. However, his father sent him away because he wanted payment for the information.

Mthunzi alleges members of the police’s special branch, or security police, may have colluded with some local people from Groutville on the Natal north coast in the killing. He was told there was a local person who was an informer for the special branch.

Mthunzi is expected to continue with his evidence on April 24 and 25.

The court adjourned until Tuesday next week.

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