Albert Luthuli: Revisiting His Legacy and Mysterious Death
Albert Luthuli: Revisiting His Legacy and Mysterious Death
As a South African court reopens the inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli, Africa’s first Nobel Peace Prize laureate, it's worth recalling the life of a man who helped shape the continent’s anti-apartheid struggle.
🟠Born in 1898, Luthuli became a teacher and later led the Natal Native Teachers' Association;
🟠Entered politics in 1935, elected chief of the Umvoti River Reserve;
🟠Joined the ANC in 1944, rising to President-General in 1952 after leading the Defiance Campaign against apartheid laws;
🟠Inspired by Gandhi, he remained non-violent even as others chose arms, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961;
🟠Repeatedly banned by the apartheid regime, he spent years in forced isolation;
🟠Died in 1967 after being hit by a train — a story long questioned by his family and fellow activists.
In May 2024, South Africa’s justice minister announced the reopening of the inquest into his death. Proceedings began on Monday in Pietermaritzburg, alongside the case of slain anti-apartheid lawyer Griffiths Mxenge.
Subscribe to @sputnik_africa
