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LV and CU INTERIOR: Prime Minister Kaiser Matanzima of Transkie in Umtata news conference, seated facing newsmen. (2 shots)
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CU: Matanzima addressing conference.
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MV: newsmen listening.
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SV: Matanzima continues address.
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TRANZKEI PRIME MINISTER KAISER MATANZIMA: "I think the whole world is clear - I have said this many times - that we are essentially democratic, and our democracy is Western democracy, even though the West doesn't want to hear a thing about us. In all probability they would like us to turn East. But we are quite stable. We are prepared to stand our ground. If Russia and China offer us any kind of aid, we shall accept it - provided such offers have no strings attached."



Nelson Mandela, a leading black South African dissident from the Transkei, provoked a strong response.



MATANZIMA: "Three Transkei prominent men in the African National Congress are serving a term of imprisonment as a result of a criminal judgement, in Robben Island, You call them political prisoners - I don't know what you mean by political prisoners. Because as soon as a person is convicted of an offence, he ceases to be a political prisoner. Now these men are Transkeian citizens - I am anxious to get them home, because I am sure that they will try and use all their energy in the development of their own people. I refer to Govan Blakely, (phoenetic spelling) Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela. I would like these men to come back. We don't regard them as our leaders. Nobody has ever appointed them as leaders. But we heard about their movements in Johannesburg where they were living and strange enough, once a person makes noise, he is regarded as a leader. I wish I could be noisy."




Initials RH/CH/MR/2000



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Prime Minister of the newly-independent Southern African state of Transkei, Chief Kaiser Matanzima, said on Wednesday (27 October), that he would accept aid from China and the Soviet Union. But there would have to be no strings attached, he told a news conference in the capital, Umtata. He also spoke about three Transkei citizens currently in jail in South Africa for political offences, and said he was anxious 'to get them home'.