CNN)Winnie Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid activist and former wife of the late President Nelson Mandela, has died at the age of 81, a family member told CNN on Monday.

The outspoken campaigner was known as the "Mother of the Nation" because of her struggle against white minority rule in South Africa.
She was married to Nelson Mandela for 38 years, including the 27 years he was imprisoned on Robben Island near Cape Town.