Albertina Nomathuli Luthuli (born 14 March 1932) is a South African politician and medical doctor who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 2004 to 2011. Before that, she served in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. She is the eldest daughter of ANC stalwart Albert Luthuli.
Albertina Luthuli | |
|---|---|
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 2 April 2001 – 1 May 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 March 1932 Groutville, Natal Province Union of South Africa |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Relations | Albert Luthuli (father) |
| Alma mater | University of Natal (MBChB) |
Early life and career
Luthuli was born on 14 March 1932[1] in Groutville in the former Natal Province. She was the second of seven children born to Albert Luthuli, an ANC stalwart and ultimately a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate who died when he was struck by a train in 1967.[2] She attended Adams College and matriculated at St Francis College before enrolling at the University of Natal, where she completed an MBChB.[3]
From 1971 to 1991, during the height of apartheid, she lived in exile in Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and the United Kingdom.[4] When she returned to South Africa in 1991, she opened a medical practice in Natal.[3][5]
Post-apartheid political career
After the end of apartheid in 1994, Luthuli represented the ANC in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.[4][5] On 2 April 2001, she was sworn in to the National Assembly to fill a casual vacancy in the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal caucus.[6] In the 2004 general election, she was elected to a full term in the seat.[7][8] She was re-elected in 2009 but resigned on 1 May 2011; her seat was filled by Duduzile Sibiya.[9]
Retirement
Luthuli lives in her hometown of Groutville.[1] In 2016, she was publicly critical of President Jacob Zuma; she was one of 100 ANC stalwarts who signed an open letter calling for reform in the ANC[10] and she attended several civil society events which protested against decisions of Zuma's administration.[11][12] She has also called publicly for another inquest into the circumstances of her father's death.[5][1]