An accountant who was recruited into politics by the later Albertina Sisulu, Duarte was detained for her activities under the State of Emergency in 1988 for several months and served with a restriction order on her release.
After the ANC was unbanned in 1990, Duarte acted as a personal assistant to Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, and became involved in the party leadership at regional level.
After 1994, she was elected to the ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee and served as Gauteng’s first safety and security MEC, a role Duarte quit due to a controversy over her driving licence.
In a statement, the ANC says Duarte died in the early hours of Sunday morning after a months-long battle with cancer.
She had been on medical leave since November last year.
The party expressed its sadness, saying her death is a great loss, not only to her family, 'but also to the party and the country as a whole'.
The governing party has described her as a dedicated activist who strived for a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
Duarte is set to be buried on Sunday afternoon as per Muslim rites.
Details of her memorial service will be communicated in due course.
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