Court to hear new arguments about deaths of Albert Luthuli, Griffiths Mxenge

JOHANNESBURG - The High Court in KwaZulu-Natal will hear new arguments on Monday about the deaths of two anti-apartheid activists, Chief Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has reopened the inquests into their deaths, in collaboration with the Hawks and the National Archives, to prosecute apartheid-era crimes.

Former chief of the Zulu tribe in Groutville, Luthuli is said to have died in 1967 after being run over by a train.

However, no one has ever been held accountable for his death.

Meanwhile, Butana Nofemela, David Tshikalange, and Dirk Coetzee were convicted of stabbing to death Mxenge.

The three men were granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) before they could be sentenced.

NPA KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the inquests wanted to establish how they died and who should be held accountable.

"The NPA will be presenting evidence before the court in an attempt to have the initial findings into the deaths of Luthuli and Mxenge overturned."

The two inquests will be heard concurrently on Monday morning at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg.