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Albert Luthuli
ANC president-general; first African Nobel Peace laureate
The chief who chose nonviolence — and won Africa's first Nobel Peace Prize.
Not scored — never held executive office. How we score →
The rise
A Zulu chief and teacher, Luthuli became president-general of the ANC in 1952, leading the early mass campaign against apartheid.
What they did
He steered a disciplined nonviolent resistance and, in 1960, became the first African awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The full picture
Banned, silenced and confined by the apartheid regime for much of his later life, he died in disputed circumstances in 1967.
Why it matters
Luthuli laid the moral foundation of the anti-apartheid struggle that Mandela's generation carried forward.
“The road to freedom is via the cross.”
What citizens said
Afrobarometer Round 9 (2021–2023) — South Africa
Trust in president27%
Trust in parliament23%
Trust in courts50%
% who say 'trust somewhat' or 'trust a lot' · Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 891