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A new investigation into the death of a South African in 1967 Nobel Peace Prize Winner and anti-apartheid leader Albert Luthuli has found that he was beaten to death, and this rejects the previous finding that he died as a result of being hit by a train.
Thursday’s ruling by a court in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg came after more than 50 years of suspicion that Luthuli was killed by apartheid police because of his leadership. African National Congress Who opposed the system of white minority rule.
The South African government reopened an investigation into his death in April as a step towards investigating high-profile apartheid-era murders, which were reportedly covered up by authorities at the time.
A 1967 inquest ruled that Luthuli was hit by a freight train near his home and that his death was accidental, a conclusion that has always been viewed with suspicion because of the apartheid government’s involvement in covering up political killings of opponents.
A judge overseeing the new investigation said the evidence showed Luthuli died from head injuries caused by an attack, and said a notorious police unit known as Special Branch – working with South African Railways Company employees – was probably responsible.
“This verdict brings justice, truth and dignity to the memory of one of South Africa’s greatest sons and to all those who suffered from the brutality of apartheid,” said the African National Congress party, which has led South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Luthuli was president of the ANC from 1952 until his death. nelson mandela Served as his vice president for six years. Luthuli was also the first African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, when he was recognized in 1960 for his nonviolent struggle against apartheid.
The South African government has ordered other investigations this year into apartheid-era deaths of political leaders and activists, as families have been demanding an investigation for years. These include a new investigation into the death in police custody of iconic anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko in 1977.
South Africa’s post-apartheid government has also been criticized for taking years to investigate the deaths, and the president Cyril Ramaphosa An investigation has been ordered into allegations that the investigation was deliberately blocked by authorities, including previous ANC governments.
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AP Africa News: https://apnews.com/hub/africa