Minister in the Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will deliver the eulogy at the special official funeral of struggle stalwart Eric “Stalin” Mtshali on Sunday.

Mtshali, 84, died at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban after a long illness, the ANC confirmed last week.

According to the Presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the funeral a Special Official Funeral category one and instructed that the national flag fly at half-mast at all flag stations across the country and at South African diplomatic missions abroad until Sunday evening.

“A recipient of the National Order of Mendi for Bravery in Silver, Mtshali was a long-standing member of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC,” the Presidency said in a statement.

Mtshali joined the SACP in 1957 and helped form uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC, in 1961.

He was also the first editor of The Dawn magazine – the military mouthpiece of the SACP – from 1965 to 1969, where he worked closely with slain SACP leader Chris Hani, News24 previously reported.

During this period, he helped form the ANC's intelligence division and was involved in several intelligence operations.

Mtshali was appointed as a member of Parliament for the ANC in 2004. He sat on the parliamentary committees on labour, higher education and training, and human settlements.

Mtshali is survived by his wife Gcinile Kunene and daughter Lindiwe Mtshali, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

His funeral will take place at the Sugar Ray Stadium in Clermont, near Durban.