President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed condolences to the family of human rights lawyer and former Chief Legal Advisor to President Nelson Mandela, Nicholas “Fink” Haysom.
Haysom was a distinguished constitutional lawyer and was serving as the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Special Representative for South Sudan at the time of his passing at the age of 73.
“Today, we mourn a distinguished diplomat and a pioneer of our democratic administration, whose commitment to justice and peace made our country, our continent, and the world a better place.
“I remember him for applying his legal acumen, mentorship, wisdom, and integrity to the development of our Constitution – attributes that underscored his role in peace-making on our continent and in other world regions,” President Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
Haysom also served as a mediator and advisor in the Sudan Peace Process, as Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan and Somalia, and also headed the UN mission in Iraq.
“As we commemorate Human Rights Month, we pay tribute to Fink for his dedication to human rights and the dignity of all people in all the parts of the world where his guidance was deeply respected and sought-after.
“We reflect on the rich breadth of his life of law, scholarship, and creativity, which established him as a writer and, in 1987, as South African Playwright of the Year.
“We are obligated to honour his contribution to our nation and the international community by upholding the fundamental rights and maintaining the peace he advocated so passionately and eloquently,” the President concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
