Nkosi Impiyezintombi Mzimela, who died on Christmas day, had fought to defend the role of traditional leaders within the government structures, the Inkatha Freedom Party said on Friday.

"His passing away has left a void in the structures of traditional leaders especially at a time when the role of traditional leadership is still to be finalised," said IFP chairman Blessed Gwala.

A former chairman of the National House of Traditional Leaders Inkosi Impiyezintombi Mzimela died after having been hospitalised for the last few weeks.

Gwala said that Mzimela had also served as a Member of the KZN provincial legislature as well as a school principal.

Earlier Kwazulu-Natal co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube paid tribute to Mzimela as a man of integrity.

"Inkosi Mzimela was instrumental in the post-apartheid development of the institution of traditional leadership and in the establishment of its structures as we know them today," Dube-Ncube said in a statement.