JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 3 (SOUTH AFRICA OUT): Advocate George Bizos at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory on February 3, 2014, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
South Africans Pay Tribute to Veteran Anti-Apartheid Lawyer George Bizos
George Bizos famously represented the late Nelson Mandela and several other struggle veterans during the Apartheid era. He passed away at the age of 92 this past Wednesday.
Aside from being Mandela's lawyer, Bizos was indeed a close friend of the former statesman. The Nelson Mandela Foundation described the pair's friendship saying, "In the last years of Mandela's life, they were often to be found together, just catching up, sharing memories, or heading off on car rides to see, one more time, places of significance in their life journeys."
In his critically acclaimed memoir, Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela himself described Bizos as a man "who combined a sympathetic nature with an incisive mind".
In the wake of his passing, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the following about Bizos:
"This is sad news for all of us as South Africans. George Bizos contributed immensely to the attainment of our democracy. He worked very closely with Nelson Mandela, Arthur Chaskalson, and many others. He had an incisive legal mind and was one of the architects of our Constitution."
The likes of investigative journalist and author Redi Tlabi, activist Shaeera Kalla and several other South Africans have all paid tribute to Bizos and the legacy he now leaves behind. See some of these tributes below:
Aaah! George Bizos. How many lives you touched. Your mark on the map to Freedom is indelible. South Africa's histor… https://t.co/UN8giZs7Xx— Redi Tlhabi (@Redi Tlhabi) 1599676553.0
I am gutted. 😥 He said "call me George" the first time we met in the car on the way to a TV interview in 2014. My h… https://t.co/wBm2KTsFDV— Shaeera Kalla (@Shaeera Kalla) 1599676415.0
Tonight we bow our heads in anguish. One of the brightest lights in our Country has gone out. George Bizos gave s… https://t.co/cteRV3Ys0Q— Ayanda Dlodlo (@Ayanda Dlodlo) 1599676428.0
George Bizos was an extraordinary human being. A principled man who stood for what is right. I’ve known him for mos… https://t.co/WyNsOFDHL1— Aki Anastasiou (@Aki Anastasiou) 1599675736.0
The news of the passing of #GeorgeBizos is very sad for us as a country. An incisive legal mind and architect of ou… https://t.co/dtDWXapFD5— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 #StaySafe (@Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 #StaySafe) 1599683473.0
Breaking News: Renowned Human Rights Advocate George Bizos has died. #RIPGeorgeBizos you were an angel on this ear… https://t.co/E1PCYbvSWw— Katy Katopodis (@Katy Katopodis) 1599673149.0
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