Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was the former wife of South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela.
The couple - famously pictured hand-in-hand as Mr Mandela walked free from prison after 27 years - were a symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle for nearly three decades.
Family spokesman Victor Dlamini said Mrs 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.
Retired archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu praised her as a "defining symbol of the struggle against apartheid".
"Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists," he added.
LINK
The couple - famously pictured hand-in-hand as Mr Mandela walked free from prison after 27 years - were a symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle for nearly three decades.
Family spokesman Victor Dlamini said Mrs 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.
Retired archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu praised her as a "defining symbol of the struggle against apartheid".
"Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists," he added.
LINK
