NFP leader Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi dies

The party's secretary general says KaMagwaza-Msibi, who served as the country's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, passed away in a Durban hospital in the early hours of Monday morning.

Canaan Mdletshe says they were told that she had heart issues, and suffered cardiac arrest.

"We were not expecting this to happen. The last time we spoke to her she was giving us all hope, and I remember the last call I has with her she even gave me an instruction of what we must do as we were preparing for the elections.

"But she is no more and we are devastated and one actually has no words to express who we feel as the organisation. It's like a nightmare. Its like someone is going to wake you up and say stop dreaming, but unfortunately, it's true."

Mdletshe says she was admitted into hospital last week after suffering with complications related to her heart.

"She was admitted in hospital last week because she was not feeling ok. Her heart was not holding up and the family took her to hospital and she was admitted and she's been in hospital since. KaMagawaza-Msibi succumbed to cardiac arrest."

KaMagawaza-Msibi had taken a back seat from active politicking after suffering a stroke in 2014.