Chief Albert J. Luthuli, former president of the African
National Congress and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The
fortieth anniversary of his death in 1967 took place on July 21.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos The
terrible news of the untimely and puzzling death of our
President, Inkosi AJ Luthuli, on 21 July 1967, burst upon us
while we were in exile in the United Kingdom. With his passing
away it seemed that a great and bright star that would always be
there to guide us along the difficult road to freedom had
suddenly been extinguished. When he and others of our leaders
were arrested in 1956 and charged with the capital offence of
High Treason, we took up the call - We Stand by our Leaders! We
stood by our leaders determined to ensure that whatever
happened, we would not allow the apartheid regime to take their
lives. When our leaders were arrested at Rivonia and again faced
the possibility of a death sentence, again we said - We Stand by
our Leaders! And again we stood by our