The Minister of Justice Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, has given the green light to re-open the inquests into the deaths of anti-apartheid activists, Chief Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge and civic leader Booi Mantyi, who died under mysterious circumstances.
Lamola has indicated that this comes after recommendations from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Luthuli died more than 57 years ago on July 21, 1967. He was reportedly hit by a train, according to an official report. Mxenge died on November 20, 1981, also under mysterious circumstances. Mantyi is said to have been killed during an altercation with members of the police in June 1985.
In a statement, departmental spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, confirmed that the minister had accepted the recommendations of the NPA to look into the deaths of the three political activists.
“The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola, has accepted and acted on the recommendations from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to re-open inquests into the deaths of Chief Albert Luthuli, Mr Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge and Mr Booi Mantyi,” he said.
Phiri said thorough investigations were never conducted to establish the real cause of deaths of all three political activists, adding that the new inquests would help shed light and bring closure to affected families.
A formal inquest held in De Aar in 1985 ruled that no one was responsible for the death of Mantyi. However, a new investigation found that an eye witness who did not testify previously, had been identified.
When it comes to Mxenge, his death in 1981 was found to have been questionable after his body, filled with more than 45 lacerations, was discovered in a field in Umlazi without a thorough investigation being done into the circumstances of his death.
An inquest by the Apartheid regime done in 1967 found that Luthuli’s cause of death was due to a fractured skull, however, further evidence did not reveal any criminal culpability on any one. But the NPA said that the evidence did not consider any scientific principles as it was highly unlikely that Chief Luthuli was struck by a train and died as a result.
Phiri said based on these inconclusive reports, the minister has saw it fit to re-open inquests that will conclusively probe these deaths saying even though these might open old wounds, it was in the interest of justice that these thee inquests be re-opened.
“Considering the above, Minister Lamola is of the view that it is necessary and in the interests of justice to re-open these inquests. We risk opening very real wounds which are more difficult to open 30 years into our democracy, but nonetheless, the interest of justice can never be bound by time as the truth must prevail,” Phiri said.
The Star
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