To mark the 40th anniversary of the death of former ANC President Chief Albert Luthuli tomorrow, 21 July 2007, the ANC is publishing a special edition of the ANC political discussion journal Umrabulo dedicated to his life and memory.
The special edition contains tributes from ANC leaders like Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and includes contributions from Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Nadine Gordimer, Pathekile Holomisa and others.
The special edition of Umrabulo will be distributed to ANC structures and more widely within society as a means of reinforcing the legacy of an outstanding South African leader.
Writing in the foreword, President Thabo Mbeki recalls the day the movement learnt of Luthuli`s death: "But like a bolt from the blue came the dreadful news that the very head of our movement, the first among equals, President Albert Luthuli, had been struck by a train at a lonely railway crossing not far from his home, and was no more. The masses of our people were not there, and could not have been present, to serve as his protective shield."
Recalling his relationship with Chief Luthuli, former ANC President Nelson Mandela says: "Despite the regime`s efforts to silence him, the Luthuli name became a colossal symbol of peace and unity, far beyond the horizons of Groutville and even the borders of South Africa. We stand today on the shoulders of such giants."
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela tells of the occasions that Chief Luthuli visited her home in Orlando West in the late-1950s, arriving for supper with other ANC leaders and remaining locked in discussion until late in the evening. "It dawned on me that I had been in the presence of a great man," she says. "His stature alone exemplified the best characteristics of a born leader, who commanded so much weight and dignity without uttering a word."
Inkatha Freedom Party President Mangosuthu Buthelezi describes the first time he met Chief Luthuli: "I was immediately impressed by how his demeanour, intellect and sheer presence set him apart as a man of destiny and vision."
ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma says Chief Luthuli`s Christian beliefs were clearly reflected in his outlook on life, justice and his attitude towards his fellow beings, and largely guided his commitment to the liberation struggle.
Struggle veteran and author Phyllis Naidoo argues that Chief Luthuli was not a person to court honours or adulation. She says the awarding to Luthuli of the Nobel Peace Prize and the ANC`s highest award, Isithwalandwe, would not have been nearly as important to him as the birth of the Freedom Charter. "I cannot see him hanging up his awards for all to view," she says.
Pathekile Holomisa, President of the Congress of Traditional Leaders (CONTRALESA) and an ANC Member of Parliament, notes that Luthuli did not see a contradiction between his role as a traditional leader and his involvement in the ANC. Instead, he saw the two roles as complementary.
As we commemorate the death of a man who dedicated his entire life to the struggle, the ANC reflects on the contribution that Chief Luthuli and other icons of his generation made in order to ensure that all enjoy equal rights within a democratic state.