South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has honoured late activist and human rights lawyer George Bizos with a “special official funeral category one” when he is laid to rest on Thursday, the presidency said on Monday.
Due to this, the national flag will be flown at half-mast at every flag station in the country until the evening of the special official funeral, the high office said.
Bizos, who defended Nelson Mandela and his fellow African National Congress (ANC) comrades at treason trial in the 1950s and 1960s died last week at the age of 92 after a long illness.
Born in Kirani, Greece, he came to South Africa with his father in 1941 – running away from World War Two in Europe.
Bizos dedicated his legal career to fighting for basic human rights, while representing numerous high-profile activists in political trials including Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and others accused in the treason trials of 1956 and 1963.
Ramaphosa described Bizos as one of the best legal minds in South Africa, who contributed immensely to the attainment of democracy.
Bizos was a well-known name in South African media circles and was one of the architects of the country’s constitution.
NM/jn/APA