Latest news with #AlbertLuthuli
The Citizen
19 hours ago
- The Citizen
Luthuli walk to honour the legacy of a liberation icon
Luthuli walk to honour the legacy of a liberation icon The legacy of Chief Albert Luthuli will once again be honoured through the annual Luthuli Walk and Fun Run, taking place on Saturday in Groutville. This year's event carries added significance, as it coincides with the recent reopening of the inquest into Luthuli's death in 1967. Luthuli remains one of South Africa's most revered political icons and was the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Launched in 2016, the Luthuli Walk retraces the final steps of the late chief, who was reportedly killed by a train on the railway bridge over the uMvoti River on July 21 in 1967. Decades later, questions still linger around the circumstances of his death. The Pietermaritzburg High Court has reopened the inquest, with a verdict expected in October. More than just a tribute, the commemorative walk and fun run aim to celebrate Luthuli's enduring legacy while promoting social cohesion, healthy living and the growth of local tourism and entrepreneurship. The 11.5km walk and 7.7km fun run will both start at the Luthuli Museum, located on Nokukhanya Luthuli Street in Groutville, with staggered start times at 7am and 7.30am, respectively. Participants are encouraged to collect their race packs at the Luthuli Museum on 17 or 18 July, between 10am and 8pm. No collections will be allowed on the day of the event unless prior arrangements have been made. Contact the Luthuli Museum at 032 559 6824 or email [email protected]. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Jacob Zuma takes Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC to court
Former president Jacob Zuma has taken his successor President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC to court to challenge his expulsion from the ANC. In a statement on Thursday morning, the MK Party labelled Zuma's disciplinary hearing by the ANC as a kangaroo court. Zuma has previously written to the ANC threatening court action after he was expelled for forming another party against the ANC's constitution. Zuma — who was a member of the ANC for most of his life — said his membership of the 'real ANC of (Albert) Luthuli, (Oliver) Tambo and (Nelson) Mandela cannot be erased by sell-outs and DA puppets like Ramaphosa and (Fikile) Mbalula'. 'It was indeed the sell-out tendencies of these traitors which led to the formation of the MK Party on December 16 2023 and the removal of the ANC from power five months later in the May 2024 elections. 'The symbolic institution of this application on Freedom Charter Day serves as a reminder of the unforgivable betrayal of the people by the ANC of Ramaphosa which has reversed even the small gains achieved since 1994,' Zuma's MK Party said. It accused the ANC of having sold out by entering into a government of national unity with the DA and Freedom Front Plus. The party said it is fully behind Zuma's case, adding it hoped Zuma's membership would be restored. 'Such an outcome will bring us closer to the much-needed unity of black people in the centuries-old struggle for total liberation and the return of the land to its rightful owners, the African people as a whole. 'It is one of the strategies employed in the pursuit of that dream of unity that the constitution of the MK Party allows for dual membership in exceptional circumstances.' TimesLIVE
IOL News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Reflecting on 70 years of the Freedom Charter: a journey towards equality
A copy of The Freedom Charter, signed in 1960 by, among others, Chief Albert Luthuli. Image: Cara Viereckl/African News Agency(ANA) SEVENTY years ago, on June 26, 1955, the Freedom Charter was adopted at the Congress of the People in Kliptown. It followed Professor ZK Matthews' suggestion in 1953 to hold a "national convention" to formulate "a Freedom Charter for the democratic South Africa of the future". While not produced by the ANC, it was closely associated with the ANC. People from different walks of life were asked what kind of South Africa they wished to live in, as an alternative to the horrors of apartheid. Their responses were stitched together to create the Freedom Charter. After 1960, with the banning of the African National Congress (ANC) and other political movements and the suppression of protest, the Freedom Charter went out of view. It reappeared when resistance to apartheid began to grow again. In 1980, the Sunday Post published the Freedom Charter and an article on its history. The 1981 Anti-Republic Day movement that protested the racist white republic promoted the Freedom Charter as the basis for a democratic people's republic. The preamble of the Freedom Charter written on the holding cell that the Rivonia Trialists were kept at the Palace of Justice. Image: Masi Losi/African News Agency (ANA) Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading On its 30th anniversary in 1985, it was widely promoted. Many anti-apartheid organisations adopted the Freedom Charter as their manifesto. The Freedom Charter responded to white minority rule, segregation, and the white monopoly of the land, mines and economy, of professional and well-paying jobs and of educational opportunities. It stated that South Africa belonged "to all who live in it, black and white", based "on the will of all the people". It declared that "the people shall govern", that "all national groups shall have equal rights" and all were to "enjoy equal human rights" and "be equal before the law". It called for everyone to "share in the country's wealth", for "the land (to) be shared among those who work it" and for all to have "work and security" and be treated equitably. There was a pledge to ensure "houses, security and comfort" and provide food security and health care. Recognising the importance of education and knowledge, there was a commitment to open "the doors of learning and of culture", ensure "free, compulsory, universal and equal" education for all and sport and recreation opportunities for everyone. Instead of apartheid's militarism, hostility to neighbouring countries and pariah status, the Freedom Charter sought "peace and friendship", "self-determination for all" and peaceful relations with other countries. Seventy years after the Freedom Charter was born and 30 years into democracy, South Africa is a very different and better society, especially for black and women South Africans. Unfortunately, despite strong support and the opportunity to fundamentally remake our country and achieve the Freedom Charter's goals, the ANC squandered the opportunity. Rather than the people governing, popular participation and a grassroots democracy, we have rule by elites focused on their interests and aloof from the people. ANC policies have done little to eliminate inequality and poverty, redistribute land, create decent jobs and ensure effective social services. We are a long way from everyone sharing in South Africa's wealth, the land being shared equitably and 'work and security' for all. Our "wealthiest 10% owns 85% of all household wealth"; the "wealthiest 0.1% own 25% of it". The "wealthiest 3 500 people own more than the most impoverished 32 million. Nowhere else do so few own so much. And there are few other places where that privilege is protected so fiercely to the detriment of the impoverished". Despite considerable investment in education, the children of the impoverished largely end up in the same position as their parents. There are probably less opportunities in black communities and for black youth to play sport today than under the non-racial sports movement of the 1980s. Chauvinists use identity politics to define who is a South African, African, and black in ever more narrow terms. By freezing identities along racial lines, they compromise building a non-racial society in which "race" eventually does not matter. In the international arena, South Africa has won admiration for its stand on the Israeli genocide in Palestine. But commitment to self-determination for all and "peace and friendship" has been inconsistent. We allow coal exports to Israel and are muted on some issues because of material interests. The Freedom Charter is a radical national-democratic manifesto. Neither a liberal reformist nor a socialist programme, it was a positive response to racial and national oppression. Its goal was a non-racial democracy and a unitary national democratic state. For some, the Freedom Charter represents their goals in full. If there has been some progress towards achieving those goal, there is some way to go to achieve what the ANC calls the "national democratic revolution". For others, the Freedom Charter represents their minimum goals. They seek to extend and deepen those goals to build a socialist South Africa that ends the rule by the wealthy and ensures greater equality. Manifestos are important but guarantee nothing. It is struggles waged by mass organisations, the conditions under which they occur, the nature of leadership, and whether there is working class leadership that determines the outcomes of freedom struggles. South Africa in 2025 is a shamefully unequal, unjust and unstable society. The impoverished grind out an existence, while the rich and middle classes flaunt their wealth and fortify themselves behind electric-fences and ubiquitous security companies. It cries out for a social movement with an ethical and capable leadership that is committed to sustainable economic development, eliminating inequality and impoverishment, ensuring fair and just treatment for all and promoting greater participation and democracy. Professor Saleem Badat Image: Supplied Saleem Badat is Research Professor in the Department of History at the University of Free State and the former vice-chancellor of the university currently called Rhodes. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. THE POST
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
NPA concludes witness testimony in Chief Albert Luthuli inquest, proceedings postponed to October
Chief Albert Luthuli, whose 1967 death is under renewed scrutiny in a reopened inquest. The reopened inquest into the death of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and anti-apartheid leader Inkosi Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli has been postponed to October for closing arguments after the state concluded its list of witnesses. On Wednesday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that proceedings in the Pietermaritzburg High Court were adjourned to October 13 to 16, 2025. The NPA, represented by Advocates Ncedile Dunywa, Annah Chuene, Siyabonga Ngcobo and Xolani Msimango, led testimony from an extensive list of witnesses since the inquest resumed on April 14 this year. 'In this reopened inquest, the NPA led an array of witnesses, including South African Police (SAPS) members, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) officials, scene reconstruction and simulation experts, forensic analysts, medical evidence, family members of Chief Luthuli, anti-apartheid activists, and friends of Chief Luthuli,' NPA Regional Spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara stated.
The South African
06-06-2025
- Climate
- The South African
Weather forecast for Sunday's Comrades Marathon route
Home » Weather forecast for Sunday's Comrades Marathon route Nerves and excitement will be starting to set in for those runners set to take to the start line for Sunday's Comrades Marathon. Image: Comrades Marathon website A mixed of nerves and excitement will no doubt be starting to set in for those runners set to take to the start line for Sunday's 98th running of the Comrades Marathon. A close eye will be kept on the weather conditions for race day. According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS), the temperature at the start in Pietermaritzburg at 05:30 will be a cool 11 degrees Celsius. Temperatures will peak at 24 degrees Celsius around midday before a 30% chance rain is expected from 16:00 onwards as the majority of runners approach the finish in Durban. The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has officially announced that the route distance for the 98th edition of The Ultimate Human Race is a challenging 89.98km. This year's race will be the 49th Down Run, taking place on Sunday, 8 June, with the race starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finishing 12 hours later with a street finish outside Durban's People's Park. The 2025 race will be slightly longer than the 87.701km of the previous Down Run (2023), as the finish has been moved from the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead to a new street finish outside People's Park, in the northbound lanes of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue. This will include a finish-line grandstand for spectators erected in the southbound lanes of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue, as well as a hospitality and entertainment area in People's Park, and space allocated for running club tents on either side of the finish. The longest Down Run in the history of the Comrades was 92km in 1971. The new street finish will create a more inclusive and celebratory atmosphere, as more people can gather to cheer on the participants, while also allowing better flow of runners and spectators, reducing congestion, and ensuring a smoother finish experience for all. Runners will not doubt be pleased to know that no steps will need to be climbed after they finish, with a short, flat walk from the finish-line to either the Club Tent hospitality area, or nearby parking areas – and a free shuttle service throughout the day will make getting to cars even easier. This precise distance of the route has been meticulously confirmed following thorough route measurement conducted by the CMA's Route Portfolio team, in close collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport's Road Traffic Inspectorate and the Durban Metro Police. 'The Comrades Marathon Association is incredibly proud to announce the official 89.98km distance for the 2025 Down Run,' said CMA General Manager, Alain Dalais. 'This carefully measured course embodies the spirit and tradition of The Ultimate Human Race, promising an unforgettable test of endurance and resilience for all participants. 'The route from the start will leave the City of Pietermaritzburg via Chief Albert Luthuli Street, turning right onto Alexandra Road and left onto Ritchie Road, which becomes Washington Road, and proceeding through Mkondeni to Polly Shortt's. 'These first 8km of the route are wide, spacious and well lit, thus ensuring safer running conditions for all participants.' 'We are really excited about the new finish venue, because it will provide both runners and spectators with a unique experience and inspirational end to the day's running,' added Dalais. 'The runners will enjoy an easier, smoother finish process, while loved ones and supporters will be right there to welcome their runners in, and the venue will help create a terrific finish-line atmosphere.' Two things drive the 2025 Comrades Marathon organisers: To improve both the runners' safety and race-day experience. With the largest ever field of around 22 000 Down Run starters expected, this prompted the CMA's decision to split the Start into two groups, with a slightly later start time to ensure more light and better visibility in the early kilometres, notably coming down Polly Shortt's. This will see the first group start at 05:45 and the second group setting off at 06:00. The two-batch start will ensure that runners experience similar free, open road running of the races in the 1990s and early 2000s, and the last runners in each start group are expected to cross the start line in under five minutes. Runners' start batch and seeding information will be finalised and shared shortly after the qualifying window for the 2025 race closes on Monday, 5 May. The two start groups will have different coloured race numbers – orange or purple – and there will be two similarly coloured finish chutes in Durban. Both start groups will have the traditional 12 hours to complete the race, and all the normal medal cut-off times at the finish, with volunteer 'spotters' and signage to ensure that runners enter the correct chute and receive the correct medals. A special sound will be played at the finish for the Group 1 race-end at 17:45, and the traditional final cut-off gun will be fired by the CMA Board Chairperson for the Group 2 race-end at 18:00. To further ensure the runners' safety and overall experience towards the end of the 12-hour race, the last 10km of the route will be well lit by both existing streetlights in Durban, as well as a large number of generator-powered mobile floodlight masts provided by the CMA. These will be positioned at darker points of the route from Westwood/45th Cutting to the finish precinct, as well as at all race-day parking areas, and all sidewalks and side streets from the finish to Jacko Jackson Drive (outside Hollywoodbets Kings Park). Furthermore, a large security response team will be in place in all the aforementioned areas until late in the evening of race-day, working with the finish venue security team and the SAPS to ensure the safety and protection of runners and spectators. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
