Beth Cadman OBE

FCDO Deputy Head of Mission South Sudan @UKinSouthSudan

[Jay Naidoo @Jay_Naidoo]

The Continuity of Fink Haysom
Tribute to a Patriot. 18.03.2026

I met Fink Haysom and Mary Ann Calkin in 1979, at a time when South Africa was burning with repression and possibility. I was a young activist shaped by the aftermath of the Soweto Uprising and the brutal murder of Steve Biko. We had gone underground. Many were detained. Many others went into exile.

It was in this crucible that I encountered Fink and Mary Ann, among the first white comrades who treated me as an equal in struggle and in life. I was 25. Through them, and through the emerging union movement, I began to understand organisation, discipline, and the deeper meaning of working class solidarity.

Fink Haysom was, and remains to me, a deeply principled patriot. As a revolutionary, I bow my head to him. He carried integrity not as a slogan, but as a way of being, quiet, consistent, and unwavering. He sought common ground, mediated with humility, and stood firmly for justice without ego.

Like Nelson Mandela, he understood that compassion and forgiveness are the lifeblood of freedom.

But like all of us in the freedom struggle, the journey came at a cost.

It was not easy on our families especially our children. Our long absences, the constant danger, the demands of the struggle these left deep wounds. Many families were stretched, some broken. This is the unforgiving side of politics that history does not always record.

I know personally the pain that prolonged absence brings. The quiet cost carried by those who wait, who endure, who hold the home while we fight in the world.

And perhaps this is why the inner journey mattered so much.

Madiba often reminded us that the most difficult path is the one within from the cesspool of the mind, with its ego, cravings, and attachments, toward a place of pure compassion and forgiveness and seat of soul in a heart centered leadership.

It is a lifelong journey.

And in Fink, I saw someone who walked that path with sincerity. He had a good head and a good heart. And to hold both, in balance, is no small achievement.

What is striking about Fink’s life is its continuity.

There was no rupture between the struggle years and what came after. When he served alongside Madiba in the Presidency, it was not a shift into power, it was a continuation of service. The same values that guided him in the underground and in the labour movement integrity, dialogue, non-racialism, and justice remained intact.

And when he moved into his work with the United Nations, that continuity deepened rather than diluted.

He carried the lessons of South Africa into the global arena:
•the understanding that peace cannot be imposed it must be negotiated
•that dignity is the foundation of stability
•that reconciliation is not weakness, but strength
•and that humanity must always come before power

In conflict zones and fragile states, he did not arrive as a bureaucrat. He arrived as a comrade of humanity someone shaped by struggle, grounded in humility, and committed to building bridges where others saw divisions.

His life was not a series of roles. It was a single thread of service.

From the streets of resistance, to the Presidency, to the United Nations there was a seamless arc. No contradiction. No loss of moral centre.

This is what made him rare.

In a world where many are changed by proximity to power, Fink remained anchored. His journey reminds us that true leadership is not about position it is about continuity of values across time, place, and circumstance.

And perhaps that is his deepest lesson to us:

That the struggle does not end when freedom is won.
It simply changes form.
And those who carry it with integrity become bridges between worlds.

🙏🏾❤️

[Beth Cadman OBE @DiploDevBeth]

I was fortunate enough to work with SRSG Haysom in South Sudan. A huge loss to the International Community. His legacy will endure and continue to inspire so many.
Huge condolences to all who knew him. RIP Fink 🕊️

[UNMISS @unmissmedia]

#UNMISS mourns the loss of our Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Nicholas Haysom, who inspired all those whose lives he touched with his principled leadership, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to peace in #SouthSudan 🇸🇸.
https://t.co/fwSbn7ggdE

[Beth Cadman OBE @DiploDevBeth]

Inspiring doesn’t do it justice. An honour and privilege to stand beside two incredible young women taking over the British Embassy today 🇬🇧🇸🇸#IDG2025

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

Today, we celebrate the confidence and ambition of South Sudanese girls as Meling and Angelina, aged 17, take over leadership roles at @UkinSouthSudan as part of the #AmbassadorForADay initiative.

The UK is committed to creating space where women and girls can lead.
#IDG2025

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

📢 2024 was the deadliest year on record for aid workers and 2025 is set to be worse.

This #WorldHumanitarianDay, we celebrate the brave aid workers across South Sudan 🇸🇸 whose life-saving work is supported by the UK 🇬🇧 #ActForHumanity

[Beth Cadman OBE @DiploDevBeth]

An honour to accompany @Davidwillashley as he presented his credentials this morning, reaffirming continued 🇬🇧support for peace in🇸🇸

[South Sudan Government @SouthSudanGov]

President Salva Kiir formally accepted the letters of credence from Mr. David Ashley, the newly appointed Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Republic of South Sudan.

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

Joint statement on the bombing of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Hospital and other civilian sites in Fangak County #SouthSudan

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

Joint Statement in Support of Peace in South Sudan.

[Peter Badimak YARO @BadimakYaro]

A consultative multi-stakeholder engagement to develop and transform mental health workforce in Ghana 🇬🇭. @BasicNeedsGh @WHOAFRO @mha_ghana @_GHSofficial

[Beth Cadman OBE @DiploDevBeth]

Joint statement condemning the violence in Nasir #SouthSudan

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

@UKinSouthSudan 🇸🇸 visited Renk County in Upper Nile State to see how #CashTransfers through @GirlsEdSS are changing lives for girls and children with disabilities. The UK 🇬🇧 supports @EducationCannotWait to provide protection and education for those most in need.

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

Mr David Ashley (@Davidwillashley) has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan 🇸🇸 in succession to Mr Guy Warrington. Mr Ashley will take up his appointment during January 2025.

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

And we celebrate the contributions of OPDs. @GuyWarrington recently met with representatives from OPDs to discuss challenges facing people with disabilities in 🇸🇸 and the critical role that OPDs play in promoting the rights and potential of people with disabilities.

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

On international day for people with disabilities, @UKinSouthSudan highlight the importance of ensuring that GBV response and prevention work is disability inclusive and consider the added risks facing women and girls with disabilities.
#EndGBV

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

In August, Minister @AnnelieseDodds met with leaders from women-led organisations (WLOs) to discuss challenges faced by women and girls in South Sudan.
Working with WLOs, the 🇬🇧 is funding gender based violence prevention and support for survivors in 🇸🇸 .

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

Today is #InternationalDayofPersonswithDisabilities. The @UKinSouthSudn and donor partners are committed to supporting Girls and those with Disabilities through @GirlsEdSS by raising awareness in communities to overcome barriers to access and changing lives in 🇸🇸

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

The evidence shows that centring women’s rights organisations to prevent gender-based violence promotes approaches that are:
☑️long-term
☑️sustainable
☑️effective
survivor-centred
The 🇬🇧 is proud to be working alongside WROs on the frontlines of responses to violence.
#EndGBV

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

Let’s end violence against women and girls and keep girls in school! The UK led @GirlsEdSS Programme has changed perspectives, keeping girls in school and keeping them safe from harm. Education also broadens their options when they leave, helping them access a brighter future.

[UK in South Sudan 🇬🇧🇸🇸 @UKinSouthSudan]

🇬🇧 is proud of @HPFSouthSudan’s work, raising awareness of #GBV:
☑️4.5 million community members were reached for family health sessions
☑️Training & mentorship was provided to HCWs which resulted in 93% of health care facilities having staff trained to identify & manage SGBV