Justice Minister Orders Reopening of Inquests into Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge’s Deaths

• The Director of Public Prosecutions will reopen the inquests into the deaths of Chief Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge
• The NPA will present evidence to challenge the previous findings into the deaths of Luthuli and Mxenge
• The decision came after recommendations were made by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP)

The state is set to present new findings before the High Court in Pietermaritzburg to contest the original findings surrounding the deaths of Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge. Starting Monday, Advocate Elaine Harrison, KwaZulu-Natal’s Director of Public Prosecutions, will reopen the inquests into both cases.

What happened to Luthuli and Mxenge?

Chief Albert Luthuli, former ANC president was reportedly struck and killed by a goods train on 21 July 1967. The initial inquest led by Magistrate C.I. Boswell on 19 September 1967, found no evidence implicating any South African Railway employees or other individuals in his death.

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Griffiths Mxenge, a lawyer specialising in human rights, was brutally stabbed 45 times in Umlazi, Durban, in November 1981. The initial inquest, held on 15 July 1982, failed to identify the perpetrators. Nine years later, Butana Almond Nofemela confessed to the killing, implicating himself along with David Tshikalange and Dirk Coetzee. Although all three were found guilty of Mxenge’s murder, they were granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) before sentencing in 1997, leading to the end of the trial.

Why are inquests being reopened?

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi reopened the inquests after recommendations from the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).

The Inquests Act makes provisions where the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development can ask for an inquest to be reopened if the Attorney General recommends it and it's in the interest of justice. A judge will then be appointed to reopen the inquest.

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Both inquests will run concurrently in separate courtrooms in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday, 14 April, with Advocates from the NPA TRC Unit in KZN leading the evidence.

What you need to know about Luthuli and Mxenge

Luthuli was the chief of the Zulu tribe in Groutville and the president of the ANC. Due to his anti-apartheid resistance and activism, he was stripped of his chieftaincy and banned. Despite this, he continued to advocate for equality until he died in 1967.

Mxenge was a prominent lawyer and activist who served two years in Robben Island for refusing to testify against his fellow activists and supporting the ANC. His legal firm which was situated in Durban, played a crucial role in defending political activists and organisations.

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Source: Briefly News