Veteran anti-apartheid campaigner Helen Suzman had not been given the recognition she deserved, Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Friday.

"I hope that in the hour of her passing this will begin to be rectified... She is, without doubt, one of the unsung heroines of the struggle."

Buthelezi said Suzman had demonstrated "raw courage" in curbing some of the worst excesses of the apartheid government with badgering of National Party politicians to, occasionally, "do the right thing".

"Helen played a straight bat and played it for all it was worth.

"She always said what she meant, and meant what she said," Buthelezi said.

Suzman deserved an official funeral, said Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

"We owe her an immense debt... The least a grateful nation should do to show its appreciation for her contribution is to afford her an official funeral."

Her indomitable spirit was a gift to South Africa and the world, he said.

Tributes to Suzman still streaming in

Tributes to Suzman have streamed in ever since her death, at the age of 91, at her home in Johannesburg, on Thursday.

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein will lead her funeral service at West Park cemetery's Jewish section at 11.15am on Sunday morning, when the nation's flag will fly at half staff.

"Suzman was an inspiration, role-model and icon for liberal democrats, particularly in the Progressive party and its successors in the Democratic Alliance," said David Quail, MPL for the DA's Houghton/Alexandra Constituency, which Suzman served for 36 years.

Neither a spokesperson for Jews, nor blacks, Suzman had addressed issues said the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.

It was this principled stand which had characterised her political career, as she used her position in parliament to oppose apartheid laws and expose the injustices they caused, it said.

Suzman embodied the principle of an injustice to one being an justice to all, said the Democratic Alliance Students' Organisation (Daso).

"We salute her"

"It is such leaders that have set the tone for youth branches such as the Daso, who follow in the footsteps of the liberal tradition, to strive for the liberty of all of South Africa's citizens.

"Her fight will continue to echo throughout history," Daso said.

South African filmmaker Anant Singh described Suzman as a true patriot who earned the love and respect of the people though her selfless actions.

"We salute her for her commitment to our nation's struggle for democracy.

"She was a formidable leader and role model who had strived for her entire life to bring about a democratic and just dispensation in South Africa," he said.

Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Movement, said Suzman for many years fought a lonely battle in the old Parliament.

"She spoke truth to power"

"She spoke truth to power, despite the odds and the ridicule of those who thought their power was unshakeable," he said.

Speaker of Parliament Gwendoline Mahlangu-Nkabinde said although Suzman had not been actively in parliament at the time of her death, she left a rich tradition of proactive opposition politics.

This was the a mark of the true multiparty democracy the country held in high esteem.

The University of the Witwatersrand regarded Suzman as one of its most illustrious graduates said its vice-chancellor and principal Professor Loyiso Nongxa, adding that she represented much the university was proud of in its heritage.

All people of conscience could not forget how Suzman refused to be intimidated, remaining determined to advance the cause of freedom and democracy in the country, former President Thabo Mbeki and his wife Zanele said in a letter to Suzman's family.

"Even as we mourn her death, we celebrate an eminent South African patriot who dedicated so many of her years to the struggle to end the apartheid system and secure freedom for all South Africans."

Suzman will be missed

South Africa had been "robbed" of one its "brightest stars", said Pan African Congress president Letlapa Mphahlele.

"She effectively used the parliamentary platform to echo the fears and aspirations of the people," he said.

The South African Zionist Federation hailed Suzman's legacy of justice and fairness.

"She has left a huge void in political circles and in the Jewish community, and we will miss her sorely," the federation said.

A "voice for the voiceless", Suzman's readiness to speak up, "no matter what", a contribution without which South Africa would not enjoy the potential it had today for freedom and democracy," said Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba.

The Freedom Front Plus described Suzman as an example of how opposition politics worked, even if one was in the minority, a sentiment echoed by the African Christian Democratic Party, which added that, as a tireless fighter for her cause, she showed that one person could make a difference.

Sapa