1.
CU Azanian People's Organisation President, Curtis Nkondo, speaking to Visnews reporter Mike Reed
2.19


NKONDO: "We do not certainly intend to have nay relationship with an ethnic group, such as Inkatha -- more so that Inkatha operates within the system. We are not prepared to operate within government-created structures. But we would like to work within the Committee of Ten, because the Committee of Ten does not operate within government structures."



REED: "What would be the relationship between yourselves and the overall African National Congress of South Africa?"



NKONDO: "We would like to see that blacks in this country are ultimately liberated and as far as that goes, we are therefore keen to see that blacks are liberated."



REED: "What about leadership -- would there ever be a take-over of leadership if somebody like Nelson Mandella of your organisation?"



NKONDO: "We in the Azanian People's Organisation respect Mandella very much and we would like to see him take over the leadership of the organisation."



REED: "You talk of a take-over a such. Would that involve necessarily restricting it to a peaceful take-over or would you be prepared to go to the extent of violence if necessary?"



NKONDO: "We are not thinking of a violent take-over but at the same time it is very difficult if people have been given to understand that they no longer can find any other solution. We are not going to be responsible for what people will decide to do, if we have no control over them."



Mr. Nkondo has made it clear that he will not negotiate with the South African government under any circumstances. AZAPO regards the citizenship issue as the key to black aspirations as the Government presses ahead with its homelands policy which strips blacks of their South African citizenship.




Initials CLM/


REPORTER: MIKE REED

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: In South Africa, two black consciousness organisations have strengthened their resolve to fight for basic freedoms for the country's blacks. In Soweto, a grassroots movement -- calling itself the Civic Association -- has just been launched. It has pledged to fight for better conditions for the nearly one million blacks who live in the sprawling township of Soweto. At a national level, the Azanian People's Organisation -- or AZAPO -- has elected its first president. He is Mr. Curtis Nkondo -- a black consciousness leader, who was jailed for a year by the South African authorities for his political activities. AZAPO has refused to co-operate with Inkatha -- another black consciousness movement, headed by Chief Gatsha Buthelezi of the Government-created Kwazulu homeland. But it has forged close links with the Committee of Ten -- an unofficial body of Soweto leaders.