He represented the UN in different roles after serving as chief legal and constitutional adviser to then president Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999.
Tributes are pouring in for Nicholas “Fink” Haysom, a lawyer, committed anti-apartheid activist and international public servant whose life was dedicated to justice, reconciliation and peace.
Nicholas “Fink” Haysom died on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, in New York at the age of 73.
Fink was a distinguished human rights lawyer and anti-apartheid activist who, alongside many others, bore the cost of the struggle.
Born in April 1952, represented the UN in different roles after serving as chief legal and constitutional adviser to then president Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999.
UN tribute
United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres paid tribute to the 73-year-old as a “tireless peacemaker” and champion of the values of the UN.
“His legacy “will endure in the peace processes he advanced, the institutions he strengthened and the principles he helped bring to life around the world.”
Guterres said Haysom always combined deep legal insight with sound political judgment – focused always on improving the lives of ordinary people, wherever he served.
Nelson Mandela Foundation
The Nelson Mandela Foundation said Madiba relied on Haysom for support in matters ranging from high-level state policy to routine family matters.
“We remember Fink for his humility, his integrity, and his tireless work behind the scenes. We will celebrate his work and carry his legacy forward. Another great tree has fallen. Hamba kahle, comrade.”
ANC
The ANC has also paid tribute to Fink.
National spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said Haysom carried the values of the country’s struggle beyond South Africa’s borders into the international arena through senior leadership roles within the United Nations.
“Whether in South Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia or Iraq, he consistently advanced dialogue over conflict and institution-building over instability. His work reflected the internationalist tradition of our liberation movement.
“The ANC honours Nicholas Haysom as a patriot who understood that peace is not passive, but constructed through courage, intellect and moral conviction,” Bhengu said.
Career
Haysom had previously served as Guterres’ Special Adviser for Southern Africa and for Sudan. He was also the Special Representative and head of UN Missions in Somalia and Afghanistan.
From 2007 to 2012, he was the Director for Political, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, and from 2005 to 2007, he headed the Office of Constitutional Support for the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq.
The organisations extended their heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones, comrades and colleagues across the world who walked the “path of justice with him”, hoping that his legacy continues to inspire those who labour for freedom and peace.
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