South Africa is trying to turn Frontline States like Zimbabwe into police stations guarding its borders, the President of the ANC, Comrade Oliver Tambo, has said.

He said it was an act of bullying which showed that Pretoria would always be harassing African independent States "on one pretext or another."

Speaking in a televised interview on ZTV on Friday, Comrade Tambo said its members "can go through South Africa alright, but it is Zimbabwe that must stop us entering".

He was referring to a recent issue taken up with Zimbabwe by Pretoria over four ANC people who had allegedly travelled to South Africa through Zimbabwe.

"What is Zimbabwe required to do? To stop these people from coming in and out of South Africa? Is this the business of Zimbabwe?" he questioned.

The ANC President said that members of the organisation could go from Beitbridge to Cape Town, but if they were captured there and it transpired that they had come through Zimbabwe, it appeared that Zimbabwe had to do the explaining, not the South African police.

This, he said, was a sure sign of aggression against independent African States.

South Africa`s attacks against the ANC had now led to it crossing borders to attack independent States.

"This has got racist connotations - the urge to deal with Africans individually or as States as you deal with an inferior".

In 1981 Pretoria raided Maputo, destroying and killing. This was a violation of the territorial integrity of an African country.

Comrade Tambo said: "South Africa wants to decide who should be in Mozambique." For the same reason, he said, South Africa raided Lesotho last year.

None of these so-called preemptive strikes could curb the actions of the ANC inside the country. "There is no question of hitting and running across the border which would justify their pursuing," said Comrade Tambo.

He said that when a bomb exploded in Pretoria, South Africa first went to Mozambique.

"Why? To kill Mozambicans?

"They did not even stop to find out who had done it and where these people came from, but went straight to Mozambique.

"The South Africans will use any pretext to hammer African independent States until they surrender to the supremacist domination of Pretoria. This will continue for as long as Pretoria is there.

"There will be a struggle going on inside South Africa which is getting worse and worse for them."

Pretoria wanted African independent States "to become outposts guarding the South African borders and allies of the regime against the liberation struggle betraying their history, nation and African independence."

This demand was being made because the Pretoria regime had reached a state of desperation and expected independent States of the region "to go on their knees".

But the ANC President said:

"South Africa is the one practising colonialism and apartheid, not Mozambique, Lesotho, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

"The attack on Matola was a new stage in their violence. It is all building up. But it starts in South Africa and will be settled there by the people of South Africa through struggle.

"The armed struggle is going to develop and assume different forms. We will keep the pressure on until we win our liberation through the armed struggle and the strength of the popular masses, using every weapon at their disposal until that system is destroyed," Comrade Tambo said.

ES Reddy