She was 81.

She was the former wife of late South African President Nelson Mandela.

Family spokesman Victor Dlamini was quoted as saying by BBC earlier on Monday that Mandela "succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones" following a long illness, which had seen her go in and out of hospital since the start of the year.

Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa mourned her death and called the former first lady as a 'voice of defiance and resistance'.

"It is with a profound sense of loss and deep sadness that we have learnt of the passing away of Mam’ Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Even at the darkest moments of our struggle for liberation, Mam’ Winnie was an abiding symbol of the desire of our people to be free. In the midst of repression, she was a voice of defiance and resistance. In the face of exploitation, she was a champion of justice and equality," the President said in a statement.

He said: "Today we have lost a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a comrade, a leader and an icon. As South Africans we collectively pass our condolences to the Madikizela and Mandela families. Your loss is our loss as well.May her soul rest in peace."

Image: twitter.com/winniemandela