MK Party leader and former president Jacob Zuma will visit EFF leader Julius Malema’s family home on Friday to pay his respects following the passing of Malema’s aunt .
Zuma will be accompanied by party officials, members of the presidential task team, and an MK Party MP during the visit .
Malema’s Aunt Remembered
Malema’s aunt, Mme Martha Motlanalo Malema, passed away this week in Polokwane, Limpopo . The EFF described her as the embodiment of the love the party has experienced from the Malema family .
“She was characterised by a deep sense of love not only for her family, but also for those in her community. Her love for her community is best expressed by her undying commitment to the EFF, of which she had been a staunch member in good standing since its formation in 2013,” the party said .
The EFF noted that she played an important role in the growth and strength of the organisation in Ward 13, Seshego, a ward now led by an EFF councillor .
Haysom Tributes
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed deep sadness at the passing of human rights lawyer and former chief legal advisor to Nelson Mandela, Nicholas “Fink” Haysom, who died on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, in New York at the age of 73 .
Haysom was a distinguished human rights lawyer and anti-apartheid activist who played a key role in South Africa’s democratic transition. He served as chief legal advisor to Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999, becoming the longest-serving legal advisor in the President’s Office .
He later served as a UN mediator and advisor, holding roles including Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Somalia, and South Sudan, and heading the UN Mission in Iraq .
“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,” Ramaphosa said .
“As we commemorate Human Rights Month, we pay tribute for 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,” the president added .
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described Haysom as “a giant of conflict resolution, a passionate advocate for justice and a pillar of the United Nations’ peace efforts” . The Nelson Mandela Foundation also paid tribute, calling him “a giant in the fight for justice” and “a brilliant constitutional law advisor” who “helped hold our young democracy steady in its first years” .
