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| South Africa mourns Albertina Sisulu | South Africa mourns Albertina Sisulu |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| South Africa is mourning one of the leading lights of the anti-apartheid movement, Albertina Sisulu, who has died aged 92. | South Africa is mourning one of the leading lights of the anti-apartheid movement, Albertina Sisulu, who has died aged 92. |
| Mrs Sisulu was the widow of Walter Sisulu, a friend and mentor of former South African President Nelson Mandela. | Mrs Sisulu was the widow of Walter Sisulu, a friend and mentor of former South African President Nelson Mandela. |
| A political figure in her own right, she was active in the women's league of the African National Congress (ANC). | A political figure in her own right, she was active in the women's league of the African National Congress (ANC). |
| ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu said Mrs Sisulu had dedicated her life to bringing democracy to South Africa. | ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu said Mrs Sisulu had dedicated her life to bringing democracy to South Africa. |
| 'She never gave up' | |
| Key figures from the governing ANC have been visiting Mrs Sisulu's family home in northern Johannesburg to pay their respects. | |
| Ahmed Kathrada, a lifelong friend and colleague, said he considered Mrs Sisulu a mother and was deeply shocked by the news of her passing. | |
| "Politically she was a great humanitarian, a great comrade, a loving comrade and an inspiration. She never ever gave up," South Africa's Eyewitness News quotes Mr Kathrada as saying. | |
| When news of her death broke late on Thursday evening, social networking websites in South Africa were flooded with tributes to the veteran campaigner, known affectionately as Ma Sisulu. | |
| Mrs Sisulu first met Walter Sisulu in the 1940s after she moved to Johannesburg to work as a nurse. | Mrs Sisulu first met Walter Sisulu in the 1940s after she moved to Johannesburg to work as a nurse. |
| Although not from a political background, she quickly established herself as an anti-apartheid activist in her own right and was among those who in 1956 led a march of 20,000 women protesting at being forced to carry passbooks. | Although not from a political background, she quickly established herself as an anti-apartheid activist in her own right and was among those who in 1956 led a march of 20,000 women protesting at being forced to carry passbooks. |
| While her husband was confined to jail with Mr Mandela, she found herself subject to periods of house arrest. | |
| However, she also became an envoy for the ANC, visiting leaders overseas and drawing attention to the anti-apartheid struggle. | However, she also became an envoy for the ANC, visiting leaders overseas and drawing attention to the anti-apartheid struggle. |
| In 1994 she took up her seat in South Africa's first democratically elected parliament. | |
| She was last seen in public in January this year, when she visited Mr Mandela during his stay in hospital. |