This is a day of great events. We can pay tribute to our State President and to our Republic. - Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd

On the eve of the Republic, opponents are now demanding that we, the government, change its colour policy so that they can make more money. ... Some people think we need them and keep a pistol to our head and ask for the forfeiting of certain aspects of our colour policy. We are not for sale. Our colour policy is not for sale.

Translated from Afrikaans: Die Transvaler kom met 'n roeping – hy kom om 'n volk te dien deur die geluid van troue en verhewe nasionalisme te laat weerklink waar sy stem ook reik. Uit hierdie roeping sal sy besieling spruit, dié strewe sal sy karakter bepaal.

Now we move forward. We stand on our own legs. Let us face the future with hope, confidence and zeal … What happened in London is not a defeat but a victory. The other Commonwealth members were expected to have reached a level of maturity that would have allowed them to work with South Africa within the Commonwealth, especially in the fight against Communism, while retaining their differences outside the Commonwealth. Some of the Commonwealth countries were however too young, too new and too small. … Something big happened. A peaceful South Africa emerged with dangers and possible disadvantages averted. South Africa is going out stronger from this hour than ever before. South Africa has triumphed … we have set ourselves free from the yoke of the Afro-Asian countries that occupy the Commonwealth, because we are not willing to let them dictate to us. The current Commonwealth is one in which we no longer feel ourselves at home.