Tributes have been paid to veteran liberation icon Walter Sisulu who died in Johannesburg, South Africa, last night.
Mr Nelson Mandela, a long-time friend to whom Mr Sisulu was a mentor, told reporters: "We have lost a remarkable man.
"He stood head and shoulders above all of us," the former South African president said. "We regret very much that he is gone. His absence has carved a void. A part of me is gone".
Mr Sisulu (90) collapsed and died in the arms of his wife of many years, Albertina, after returning from a routine medical check-up.
The cause of Sisulu's death was not immediately known, but his health took a downturn in March because of a respiratory illness and he was hospitalised, said the Johannesburg daily the Star.
South African President Mr Thabo Mbeki was distraught at hearing the news. He returned to South Africa early today after talks with Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe and a whistle-stop visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo when he was told about Mr Sisulu's death.
Mr Sisulu came to Johannesburg from Transkei in 1929. He later worked in the mines and joined the ANC in 1940. He was among the group of radicals who formed the Youth League in 1943-44.
Under the leadership of Mr Sisulu, Mr Oliver Tambo and Mr Mandela, the ANC began sponsoring non-violent protests, strikes, boycotts, and marches against apartheid, and the organisation became a target for police harassment and arrests.
AFP