The spear has fallen, but it was up to South Africans to pick up that spear and continue the fight for the country's downtrodden, Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF) leader Julius Malema told mourners outside the home of South African struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on Tuesday.

Malema, who was very close to Mam' Winnie, and members of the EFF leadership, visited the Soweto home of Madikizela-Mandela.

"We are here to say to the people of South Africa the spear has fallen and we are here to pick up the spear and continue the fight," he said.

"When we are here in this home, we are not visitors, we are children of this home. We grew up here. We ate here. We slept here."

Malema and his party said they would start mobilising the masses for her memorial services and funeral planned for next week.