South Africa's long-serving former defence minister and former Robben Island prisoner dies

South Africa's former defence minister and anti-apartheid campaigner Mosiuoa Lekota has died at the age of 77, his party said.

Lekota died after a "period of illness", the Congress of the People (Cope) said in a statement.

He played a key role in the struggle against the racist system of apartheid and was imprisoned on Robben Island alongside former President Nelson Mandela. Lekota was also a leader of the African National Congress (ANC) before he broke away to form Cope.

Ramaphosa, who leads the ANC, paid tribute to the "freedom fighter and a servant of the people".

"His life was one of resilience, courage, and steadfast belief in justice," Ramaphosa said in a statement.

Lekota was one of South Africa's longest-serving ministers, heading the defence ministry for a decade between 1998-2008.

He also served as the chairperson of the ANC for a decade and was the first premier of the newly-established Free State province after 1994, when South Africa entered a democratic era.