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Obviously when it comes to the question of telling stories about other people's lives in a situation as political as South Africa, you get to be political.

Everybody now admits that apartheid was wrong, and all I did was tell the people who wanted to know where I come from how we lived in South Africa. I just told the world the truth. And if my truth then becomes political, I can't do anything about that.

Well, surely, I am not in charge of South Africa.

South Africa is highly politicised; even small issues become politicised, and it becomes quite bitter.

At the outset, I want to say that the suggestion that the struggle in South Africa is under the influence of foreigners or communists is wholly incorrect. I have done whatever I did because of my experience in South Africa and my own proudly felt African background, and not because of what any outsider might have said.

I've been in politics now for long enough to not worry about what others are saying, but instead to talk about what I believe.

I'm a socially concerned citizen of India. I have strong views on issues of social and political relevance. But it's very difficult to voice it in an intelligent manner without it sounding contrived. Because people think you're saying or doing all this as a PR exercise, not from your heart.

I long for a South African society that's free of ideological forces - no society can ever really be free of ideological forces - but I wish it was free of power.

It's not what my job is about. I'm not out to make a political statement. I want to stand for something, but more by example.