Wednesday would have marked the 82nd birthday of struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African National Congress (ANC) have sent out tributes in remembrance of the "Mother of the Nation" on her birthday.

"We remember her as the indisputable struggle stalwart who stood with ordinary people in the picket lines during the most difficult days of the anti-apartheid struggle," EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement on Wednesday.

"No other name has faced so much persecution, defamation, and ridicule from both the system and fellow comrades than that of Mama Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Yet she still responded with love, selflessness, putting the unity of her movement above any ambitions for any positions of power," Ndlozi added.

The EFF reiterated its call for Cape Town International Airport be renamed after Madikizela-Mandela.

A life dedicated to 'fighting for the voiceless'

An official state funeral was held for Madikizela-Mandela in April at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

The ANC in Gauteng said in a statement it would host a birthday celebration rally at the Orlando East Community Hall on Wednesday in her memory.

"She sacrificially dedicated her life to serving the people of this country, championing community development and fighting for the voiceless among us," ANC Gauteng spokesperson Tasneem Motara said.

"Her departure gave birth to an informal movement that saw South Africans from all walks of life vowing to live out her legacy, declaring that the Mother of the Nation has not died but instead #SheMultiplied," Motara added.

The ANC in Gauteng will hold an interdenominational Women's Manyano prayer service at the Methodist Church of South Africa in Soweto on Thursday.