Text of report by the South African news agency SAPA

Pretoria, 4th December: President Nelson Mandela on Thursday would not be drawn into discussions on his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission [TRC].

"Whatever our relations are, we had a relationship which required a great deal of confidentiality," he said.

Confidentiality between husbands and wives was provided for by legislation, he said.

Mandela said he had complete confidence in the TRC's ability to handle the matter.

He was speaking to reporters at a Pretoria retirement home after paying a courtesy visit to Colonel Lodewyk Prinsloo, the former commanding officer of Robben Island prison.

Prinsloo was in charge of the prison when Mandela was incarcerated there. He described Prinsloo as one of the prison officials who had treated prisoners well.

Source: SAPA news agency, Johannesburg, in English 0949 gmt 4 Dec 97

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