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Chief Albert Luthuli was born near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe in 1898.
South African Police Services (SAPS) Forensic Analyst, warrant officer Sunette Nel has told the High Court in Pietermaritzburg that she believes former African National Congress (ANC) president Chief Albert Luthuli was assaulted on his way between his shop and the Gledo train station.
Nel, working with the investigating team, conducted a simulation of the accident scene in the re-opened inquest into Luthuli’s death.
Luthuli died in 1967 after being reportedly hit by a goods train in Groutville.
This inquest seeks to overturn the findings of the original one in 1967. Nel believes after being assaulted, Luthuli was then dumped on the railway line before the train arrived.
She is dismissing the version of the train driver – Stephanus Albertus Lategan who said Luthuli was hit by the train.
“The deceased the late Albert and left at 10 o’clock and walked to the front of the bridge he would have arrived at approximately 10:25 yet the time of the incident is recorded as 10:38. This amount to the time difference which is about 13 minutes. So, you are simulating the time? Yes, that’s correct my lady. Okay. The calculation in cognizant in sharing that there was sufficient time for the perpetrators to have assaulted the deceased and subsequently carried his body across the bridge from the north to the south before the locomotive would’ve crossed the bridge.”
Commenting on Luthuli’s injuries, Nel says based on her findings the injuries Luthuli sustained do not point to that of a person who was struck by a train.
“My Lady and Mr Lategan’s statement he was explaining that he saw Chief Albert Luthuli coming from the from the southside working towards the train and the train was moving from the north side to the south side. And therefore because of that as it comes working towards the train you would have been hit on the right-hand side that’s the version you were testing and you have dismissed …that’s correct My Lady.”
VIDEO | GRAPHIC CONTENT: Inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli | 13 May 2025:
