South Africa's Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died after long illness - family

FILE PHOTO: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and members of her legal team listen to the testimony of one of the witnesses at a special public hearing of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Johannesburg December 1, 1997 REUTERS/Peter Andrews/File Photo

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died peacefully on Monday following a long illness, a family spokesman said.

"She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year," Victor Dlamini said in a statement.

"She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones."

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Writing by Joe Brock; editing by John Stonestreet)