Ismail Mahomed Ayob (born 1942 in Mafeking) is a South African lawyer. Ayob practised law in South Africa and for much of his career the bulk of his work was with anti-apartheid cases. Ayob was involved in a much-publicised series of disputes with Nelson Mandela. Career Ayob's cousin Ismail Mahomed, who was later Chief Justice of South Africa, helped Ayob secure his first job in 1969 at a firm involved in cases related to the anti-apartheid movement. In 1973, he left the firm to start his own company by the name of Ismail Ayob & Associates. Apartheid era lawyer For the first twenty years of his career, Ayob concentrated on human rights cases, acting for opponents of the apartheid regime. Ayob defended and represented many South African political prisoners. Ayob was one of the few people who were allowed to visit Nelson Mandela while he was imprisoned on Robben Island. His most high-profile case was that of Hélène Passtoors, a Belgian woman accused of ferrying arms for the then-banned African National Congress. Another high-profile client of Ayob's was Winnie Mandela, who he represented during the Stompie Moeketsi kidnapping trial. Nelson Mandela lawsuit Ayob was asked by Nelson Mandela in May 2005 to stop selling certain prints signed by Mandela and also to account for the proceeds of the sales of these prints in a prominently publicised application to the High Court of South Africa. Ayob responded that he never sold any prints but had acted only in a professional capacity as attorney and agent for Mandela and his family. Under oath he said that he had never sold any prints nor was he a partner of anyone selling prints. In terms of the written contracts, Ayob was to receive royalties due to the Mandela family. These royalties were received from time to time and were held in the Mandela company accounts under his control; he gave a full accounting with an explanation. Ayob denied any wrongdoing, and declared that he was the victim of a smear campaign orchestrated by Mandela's advisors, in particular lawyer George Bizos. One particular issue was the drawing up of a last will for Mandela. Nelson Mandela stated under oath that despite many requests, Ayob refused to draw up a will. In his answer Ayob enclosed copies of five different wills signed by Mandela over a period of years. These were produced as annexures to Ayob's