COURTESY OF LUTHULI MUSEUM
DATE & TIME: 30 October 2025 at 10:00
VENUE: Pietermaritzburg High Court
The inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli was reopened in 2025 and seeks to revisit the circumstances surrounding Chief Luthuli’s untimely death in 1967. Officially reported as a train accident, his passing has long raised questions among historians, activists, and the broader public. The proceedings form part of a national effort to uncover historical truths about the injustices committed during apartheid and to bring closure to long-standing uncertainties. This moment marks a significant step in South Africa’s ongoing pursuit of truth, justice, and the preservation of Chief Luthuli’s enduring legacy as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and one of the nation’s most respected liberation leaders.
MEDIA ADVISORY
15 OCTOBER 2025: Issued by Natasha Ramkisson-Kara
NPA Regional Spokesperson KZN Division 0716700229
INKOSI ALBERT LUTHULI INQUEST POSTPONED FOR JUDGMENT The reopened inquest into the death of Inkosi Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli returned to the Pietermaritzburg High Court this week for the state’s closing arguments.
Chief Luthuli died on 21 July 1967, and it was widely reported that he died soon after being struck by a goods train. A subsequent inquest held in September 1967 found no evidence showing any criminal culpability on the part of any of the employees of the South African Railways or anyone else.
In April 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), through the Director of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal, Adv. Elaine Harrison had the inquest reopened.
During the closing arguments (which began on 13 October 2025), the state went through the evidence led at the original inquest, showing the inconsistencies therein. The state also referred to the evidence led in the reopened inquest, where witnesses for the state examined the evidence from the initial inquest, finding inaccuracies and improbabilities.
In closing, the state requested that the court find that Chief Luthuli was murdered. Further, the state recommended that the court order a full investigation into the disappearance of a certain Mbhemu Mnyandu.
Evidence led in court indicates that Mnyandu disappeared as a consequence of his being an eyewitness to the assault on Chief Luthuli.
The matter was postponed to 30 October 2025 for judgment.
