The President of ANC, Comrade Oliver Tambo, has stated that the questions of land and border dispute with the neighbouring States must be temporarily shelved until after the liberation of South Africa.
Speaking in an interview over the weekend in Maputo, Comrade Tambo stated that he has held talks with a Swazi Government delegation led by the Prime Minister, Prince Mbandla Dlamini, and that he will also meet King Sobhuza of Swaziland, probably after the OAU summit.
The leader of our people further stated that the ANC is pleading with the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland to avoid taking a position against the interests of the people of South Africa - a position that will ally Swaziland with the South African racist regime, against everyone else. However, our leader further expressed hope due to the Swazi officials' willingness to negotiate.
If Swaziland accepts the South African deal, Comrade Tambo went on to say, it will be accepting South Africa's view that there are no black South Africans in South Africa... it will be helping the apartheid regime to make a million of our people foreigners in their own country of birth.
Comrade President went on to comment on the recent stand taken by the Government of Lesotho, of totally rejecting a land offer by the fascist regime, to hand over the (Qwa Qwa) Bantustan to the Lesotho Government.
He also revealed that the Maseru Government will discuss this issue with the ANC and agreed that it was wrong to pursue the claim in the middle of the struggle for the liberation of the whole of South Africa. But this, Comrade Tambo further pointed out, does not mean that Lesotho has relinquished its claim. According to President Tambo, Lesotho realises that the South African racist regime, in making these land offers, is trying to create strife in our region and to break up the OAU.
Comrade Oliver Tambo concluded by saying that he does not rule out any border changes with Lesotho and Swaziland, but they should wait until after the liberation of South Africa.