Cape Town — Minister of Justice and Correctional Services (JCS), Ronald Lamola, has announced that he will be re-opening the inquest into the Apartheid-era deaths of Albert Luthuli, Mlungusi Griffiths Mxenge and Booi Mantyi.
In a statement, Lamola accepted and acted on recommendations from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to open the inquests into their deaths again.
“With these inquests, we open very real wounds which are more difficult to open 30 years into our democracy, but none the less, the interest of justice can never be bound by time the truth must prevail.” Lamola said.
According to the statement, Lamola delved in-depth into the circumstances surrounding all of their respective deaths and explained that new evidence in each case led to a new inquest.
Media Statement
Date: 13 May 2024Re-Opening of Inquests into the deaths of Chief Albert Luthuli, Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge and Mr Booi Mantyi
The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr @RonaldLamola, has accepted and acted on recommendations from the National… pic.twitter.com/9UqZNyiQQN
— Chrispin Phiri 🇿🇦🇵🇸 (@Chrispin_JPhiri) May 13, 2024
Luthuli, a renowned Apartheid activist, passed away on 21 July 1967. The official report of his death said he was hit by a train and an initial inquest found that his cause of death was due to a fractured skull and cerebral. The court at the time did not disclose any criminal culpability and the inquest did not consider certain mathematical and scientific principles.
Lamola accepted that it is necessary and in the interest of justice to approach the Judge President of High Court of South Africa in the KwaZulu-Natal Division to re-open the inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli.
Former Apartheid activist, Mxenge, lost his life under mysterious circumstances on 20 November 1981. His body was found with 45 lacerations on a sports field in Umlazi, which showed he violence inflicted upon him. The initial inquest failed to identify the perpetrators and the clear foul play involved.
Minister Lamola accepts that it is necessary and in the interest of justice to approach the Judge President of High Court of South Africa in the KwaZulu-Natal Division to re-open the inquest into the death of Mr Mxenge.
Mantyi was killed in an alleged altercation with members of the South African Police force on 16 June 1985 in the Northern Cape. A new investigation has revealed that an eyewitness who has not previously testified has been identified.
Considering the above, Minister Lamola is of the view that it is necessary and in the interests of justice to request the Judge President of the High Court of South Africa, Northern Cape Division to re-open an inquest into the death of Mr Booi Mantyi.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
