Zuko Komisa

- Veteran lawyer Ismail Ayob has died at his home in Johannesburg at the age of 83, best known as Nelson Mandela’s personal legal representative during apartheid and after Mandela’s release.
- He played a crucial role during the liberation struggle, serving as the only lawyer allowed to visit Mandela on Robben Island and acting as a key link between imprisoned ANC leaders and the outside world.
- Ayob’s legacy spans more than five decades, including representing Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and other political prisoners, and managing Mandela’s legal and personal affairs after 1990.
Ismail Ayob, the veteran lawyer renowned for his role as the personal legal representative to Nelson Mandela, has died in Johannesburg at the age of 83.
According to reports, Ayob passed away at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 17 December 2025.
His passing marks the end of a career that placed him at the heart of South Africa’s liberation history, serving as a critical link between the imprisoned ANC leadership and the outside world.
During the 1970s, Ayob held the unique and precarious position of being the only lawyer permitted to visit Mandela during his incarceration on Robben Island.
Beyond this pivotal role, he served as the primary legal counsel to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela for many years and represented numerous other political prisoners targeted by the apartheid state.
Ayob continued to manage Mandela’s personal and legal affairs for several years following his release in 1990.
His five-decade legacy is defined by his steadfast commitment to the Mandela family and his navigation of a hostile judicial system to protect the leaders of the resistance movement.
According to News 24, in May 2005, Nelson Mandela took legal action against Ayob over the commercial use and sale of artworks.
Mandela reportedly filed a lawsuit in the Johannesburg High Court to stop the sales.
The Citizen reports that Ayob’s funeral is set to take place on Wednesday at 1 PM where he will be laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg in accordance with Muslim burial rites.
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