South Africa's former President, Thabo Mbeki has hailed the fundamental role of the late Founding President Sam Nujoma in defining relations between the two countries, remembering him as a straight-talker.

Mbeki reflected on the life of Nujoma during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

Mbeki said Namibia-South Africa relations are anchored on the principles of comradeship, united against a common enemy and in the end, the former liberation movements, ANC and SWAPO, all worked towards a common goal.

The former South African President described the late Nujoma as a straight-talker, using the late Namibian leader's verbal attack on former British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Durban in 2002, as a case in point.

Nujoma lashed out at the former British PM, accusing him of being the cause of problems in southern African countries, including Zimbabwe.

Mbeki, who chaired the summit, said Nujoma's remarks were never intended to offend, but it was aimed at putting across the correct position on the prevailing situation at the time.

"And he had the capacity to do that and he didn't hesitate and as I said, I dont think it caused harm to anybody, people may not have liked it but it was not ill-intentioned, not aggressive, it was not intentioned to embarrass anybody including Tony Blair but indeed to represent the truth."

The South African leader also highlighted the late Nujoma's regard for democracy in Namibia, which led to a rise in multi-party politics. Mbeki also drew attention to when the Namibian Constitution was amended in 1998 to allow the late Nujoma to stand for a third term, a decision which SADC endorsed.

"We discussed that matter in the region and all of us came to the conclusion that it was important to protect democracy in Namibia and secondly to protect stability in the country to take away in sense of conflict and therefore it seemed to all us in the region that transition should be made and it was accepted to the population so I am saying that uncle Sam and that leadership established particular practices in terms of the democratization of the Namibian society."

Mbeki met the late Nujoma for the first time in Lusaka, Zambia in 1971.