The Stanger hospital clerk who positively identified Chief Albert Luthuli when he came to the hospital seeking help has pointed out the false information that was shared by the apartheid government regarding the Luthuli murder case.
Mohamed Manjoo told the Pietermaritzburg Court on Wednesday that the claims that a white doctor assisted Chief Luthuli and further announced his passing is false.
These claims were made by the apartheid government in 1967, when Chief Luthuli died.
White doctors did not treat black, Indian and coloured patients
According to Manjoo, the claims would not have been possible. This was because white doctors did not attend to black, Indian or coloured patients.
“The doctor who assisted chief Luthuli passed away, but I knew him, he was Indian. He is the one who attended to him and broke the news of his passing. Because white doctors would attend to white patients only, at a separate area,” said Manjoo.
He further said white patients with serious emergency would be transferred to King Edward hospital in Durban. That was not the case for black patients.
“Let me clarify this first, black people had different wards, from medical, surgical and maternity. There was no instance where they would transfer black patients to King Edward [hospital].”
Manjoo stated that Luthuli was taken to the consultation room which was for black people. He added that he had never seen a patient who came to the hospital because they were struck by a train.
Witness saw no blood on Luthuli
Manjoo was asked to comment on reports that Chief Luthuli was involved in an accident and hit by a train. He said he cannot comment on something he did not see.
“First of all, I was not there, I can only account on what I have seen when he was brought it. Whether he was hit on the head or assaulted, I would not know. The only thing I noticed was that, there was no blood on him. His clothes were not messed and he was unconscious,” he said.
Wants closure for family, nation
Wrapping up his testimony, Manjoo said his wish is for the inquest to bring closure.
“There should be closure on this, even after so many years.”
Luthuli was the first African to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1967, he died after he was struck by a train and fractured his head, the initial inquest claimed.
The Luthuli family expressed its dissatisfaction with the initial inquest outcome. And recently, the court ruled in favour of a new inquest, which is underway.
