Our history, though painful, must be confronted- because it is also our teacher

On 21 July 1967, Chief Albert Luthuli died under highly suspicious circumstances on a railway track in Groutville, allegedly struck by a train. On 19 November 1981, Griffiths Mxenge was brutally murdered in Umlazi, KZN, by an apartheid state-sanctioned death squad, the details of which are too heinous to bear repeating. Luthuli and Mxenge were men of immense integrity.

Leaders who dedicated their lives to building a South Africa with firm roots in freedom, fairness, and justice - values that the Democratic Alliance (DA) believes are fundamental to the very existence of our constitutional democracy.

Born in 1898, Luthuli, became Chief of the Umvoti Mission Reserve in 1935. A deeply principled man, he believed in the power of nonviolent resistance. He led the Defiance Campaign, giving voice to millions of oppressed South Africans, and in 1960, the world recognised his courage and moral clarity by awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize - the first African ever to receive it.

Mxenge, born in 1935, was a fearless human rights lawyer. He defended political detainees and activists at great personal risk, often when others would not. It was through his persistence - and international pressure - that the apartheid state was forced to prosecute policemen implicated in the killing of Joseph Mduli, a prosecution that was unprecedented. 

The reality is that South Africa still has a way to go to honour the legacy of struggle heroes such as Griffiths Mxenge and Chief Albert Luthuli. True redress must result in equality of opportunity. But with more than 30 million citizens – more than half the population - still living below the upper-bound poverty line, have we righted the injustices of the past? The uncomfortable truth is this: political freedom has not yet translated into economic freedom for millions.

To truly honour the sacrifices of leaders such as Luthuli and Mxenge, freedom cannot just be an abstract ideal. It must be lived, felt and actualised in opportunity. It must mean a mother can feed her children without choosing between rent and electricity. It must mean that graduates have the opportunity of finding a job.

The DA has argued that the gap between rights and reality lies at the heart of South Africa’s economic crisis. Our Economic Justice policy is clear: we must dismantle systemic barriers, broaden access to education and skills, stimulate inclusive growth and restore dignity by empowering individuals to build their own pathways out of poverty. Our message is this: Economic justice is freedom in practice. And it is the unfinished business of the struggle for true freedom that so many died for.

Turning to the role of the inquests of Chief Albert Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge. Both were men who lived and died for the same values that underpin our constitutional democracy today: justice, freedom, equality, and dignity. And yet, their deaths remain shrouded in unanswered questions and unresolved grief.

That is why these inquests are not just important in that they offer respect to the lives of these giants, but they are also an act of respect for their families and a chance to allow truth to emerge from the shadows. Because where there is light, injustice and evil can no longer hide. The inquests are also an opportunity for justice to speak across generations. We must never underestimate the generational trauma borne by families who have lived for decades with unanswered questions, with wounds left to fester.

For example, Chief Luthuli’s daughter waited decades for the opportunity to tell what she witnessed on the night of her father’s passing. Her testimony at the inquest makes it clear that what she saw did not align with the version of an “accident” given by the state. Such truths, long suppressed, now find their rightful place in the public record. And they have given Chief Luthuli's daughter, a voice, finally, at 93 years old, to speak her truth.

But the importance of these inquests stretches beyond individual families. They remind us that the violence of apartheid scarred our national psyche. The terror inflicted was systemic, deliberate and devastating. To this day, our society carries those deeply etched scars. These inquests are, therefore, not only about revisiting history, but also about completing the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission - work that remains painfully unfinished.

History, though painful, must be confronted - because it is also our teacher. These proceedings challenge the propaganda of the apartheid regime. They force us to confront uncomfortable truths and to affirm the principle of public accountability. They tell our people, particularly young South Africans, that freedom was never free. It was purchased with courage, sacrifice, and blood. And that we have a huge responsibility to safeguard it. We cannot and must not ever allow any political party to erode the sanctity of our constitution and to threaten our individual freedoms. The DA will continue to honour all struggle heroes by fiercely defending South Africa's constitutional democracy.

Supporting these inquests is not simply about honouring Chief Luthuli and Griffiths Mxenge. It is about defending the values that must continue to guide our democracy: truth, fairness, transparency, justice and ethical leadership. These are also the values that the DA fights for every day. We believe in a South Africa where no one is above the law. Where accountability is universal. Where government exists to serve. Where every citizen - regardless of race, background or status- has the opportunity to flourish.

The DA stands behind these inquests and the reinstatement of Albert Luthuli as Inkosi of Umvoti Mission Reserve. May these inquests remind us of the unfinished business of our past, the dignity of the families who still seek closure and the responsibility that we all carry in building a South Africa founded on freedom, fairness, opportunity and diversity.

Hannah Lidgett, MPL is a member of the DA Caucus in the KZN Legislature and the DA KZN spokesperson on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.

The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Sunday Tribune or IOL.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE