Land reform champion Dr Vuyo Mahlati has died, her husband Dr Gil Mahlati confirmed the news to SowetanLIVE on Tuesday morning.

Mahlati died in the early hours of the morning following an undisclosed illness.

Gil said details about the funeral and memorial services would be announced soon.

Mahlati, the president of African Farmers Association of SA (Afasa), is the former chairperson of the advisory land reform panel appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

She also served as member of the National Planning Commission as well as the president of the International Women's Forum SA

Aggrey Mahanjane, the former secretary-general of Afasa, said in an interview that he had recruited Mahlati to the organisation as she was a strategic thinker.

"Speaking personally and on behalf of the black farming community, we are really devastated by the loss. She had the ability to hold organisations together and I'm now worried how Afasa is going to survive without her.

"We were still expecting more from Dr Mahlati as she was a diligent worker who was involved in the transformation process of farmers via land reform by pushing for the expropriation of land without compensation.

"It was not a mistake to appoint her to lead the black farmers," said Mahanjane. ​