Nelson Mandela’s lawyer, anti-apartheid human rights activist Ismail Ayob dies

By Hassan Isilow

Ismail Mohamed Ayob, a lawyer and trusted confidant of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, died at home in Johannesburg, officials said on Wednesday. He was 83.

The African National Congress (ANC) party said in a statement: "It notes with deep sadness the passing of Ayob, a distinguished legal practitioner, whose work contributed meaningfully to the struggle against apartheid and the pursuit of freedom in South Africa."

Ayob served as a legal representative of Nelson Mandela for many years during his incarceration at Robben Island and after his release from prison.

Mandela served 27 years in prison for opposing the white minority rule. He became South Africa's first democratically elected Black president in 1994 and died on Dec. 5, 2013, at the age of 95 following a long battle with a lung infection.

Ayob also represented Mandela’s wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and several other anti-apartheid activists during the struggle against the white minority rule.

"He was not only a lawyer but a trusted confidant, frequently visiting President Mandela during his incarceration and serving as a critical conduit of communication between the leadership of the (ANC, who were jailed) at Robben Island, and the ANC leadership (who were) in exile in Zambia," South Africa’s largest political party said.

The ANC said Ayob’s role required courage, discretion, and unwavering commitment to the ideals of freedom, dignity, and human rights.

"Through his legal work and personal integrity, Marhoom Ayob demonstrated the vital role played by progressive professionals who used their skills in the service of justice and liberation, often at great personal risk," it said.

Ayob became a barrister at Gray's Inn, London, in the late 1960s and returned to South Africa to do his articles practice as an attorney, according to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

He fell out with Mandela in the mid-2000s after making payments to the icon’s siblings and grandchildren through a family trust. Ayob will be laid to rest on Wednesday according to Islamic rites.