Colonel Madimetja Mothle, another witness in the late Chief Albert Luthuli inquest, resumed his testimony, which was centred on his efforts to refigure Luthuli’s last moments.
On Tuesday, Mothle told the Pietermaritzburg High Court that there was something that drew his attention to the case, and that was the missing documents that came from Captain Kgamanyane.
He said that in the document that he received, there were no sketch plans, and there were no pictures.
Failed to align with initial inquest
“After I received the documents, I called Brain Xaba, who works at the Luthuli museum, and asked if there was anyone who would assist us with pointing out areas that need to be visited, the relevant points. We wanted everything to align with the initial inquest,” he said.
Mothle further shared that in 2023, he went to Stanger, together with his team from Pretoria, to visit the accident scene. He said they were unable to trace the train driver and conductor of the train that allegedly struck Luthuli.
After lunch, another witness, Velemina Luthuli, who was the late chief’s daughter-in-law, took the stand and shared her testimony
She said the reason for her testimony was to set out important facts and events that she believes were intentionally withheld from the first inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli.
Government concealed human rights violations
“The government of the day was aimed at concealing various serious crimes and human rights violations committed against Luthuli during the period of July 1967,” she said.
She added that she was among the first few visitors to Luthuli as they arrived at the hospital.
“When we were allowed in, Luthuli looked like himself, except for the deep wound at the top of his head. And that wound was not bandaged, it was open. He was trying to speak, it was painful to watch him struggle to speak. He was trying hard to say something but he could not. There was not much blood, and he recognised our faces, but could not communicate,” she stated.
The case has been postponed to Wednesday for Luthuli to continue with her testimony.
Chief Albert Luthuli died in July 1967 after he was allegedly run over by a train.
New inquest, 58 years later
On Monday, the National Prosecuting Authority informed the court that the Luthuli family did not accept the finding. It had, for the past 58 years, expressed their dissatisfaction with the finding. And a new inquest has since been opened.
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Nompumelelo Radebe has ruled in favour of the reopening of the inquest into the death the former ANC president.
Luthuli was the first African to be awarded a Nobel Prize for Peace. His death in 1967 had initially been described as accidental.
Following his demise, an inquest ruled that Luthuli was walking on a railway line when he was struck by a train. It said he died after fracturing his skull.
