South Africa mourns the loss of George Bizos

South Africa is tonight mourning the loss of human rights advocate and co-founder of Saheti School in Bedfordview, Adv George Bizos.

The NEWS met with Bizos in July of 2018 for one of its last one-on-one interviews with the human right advocate.

Also read: Saheti’s founding member George Bizos remembers his good friend Nelson Mandela

Late former president Nelson Mandela, Advocate Bizos and educator Mrs Yeo during one of Mandela’s visits to Saheti School. Photograph provided by Saheti.

Below are highlights from the interview. Bizos met Nelson Mandela at Wits when the late president was a third-year law student, ahead of Bizos in 1948.

Bizos gave a speech about the unfair treatment of black students at Wits in the same year.

Statement on the passing of veteran Human Rights advocate, George Bizos #RIPGeorgeBizos pic.twitter.com/75cC5yCzDs

— Katlego Legodi (@KatlegoLegodi_) September 9, 2020

“If wanting equal treatment for all makes me a leftist, then I am proudly one,” Bizos said during his speech, which captured the attention of Mandela.

“He wanted to know who I am, where I come from and what I am doing,” Bizos said at the time.

Also read: Adv George Bizos honoured

They met at the Great Hall at Wits, where they had their first conversation, which lasted hours. When Bizos became Mandela’s legal representative, the friendship further blossomed.

“By that time, Mandela was more of a family man and he often asked me for advice,” said Bizos.

They started working together on cases.

“I married in 1954 and Mandela came to prepare papers at the house I was staying at. It was the house of a friend who was out of the country with his wife.

“My friend’s daughters remained and they saw me and Mandela working on the papers. I could hear giggling. It was obvious they were giggling at Nelson because of his race. I was embarrassed and annoyed,” said Bizos.

“You must come to my house as a white person and you will probably hear giggling as well,” Mandela jokingly told Bizos at the time.

“I became his favourite,” said Bizos. After his release from prison and the end of his marriage to Winnie, Mandela and Bizos spent two weeks together in Greece.

Also read: George Bizos bids farewell to Madiba

“Mandela was influenced by Greek politics. We had fun in Greece,” Bizos then told the NEWS.

Bizos remembered having lunch at a restaurant in Greece where children gathered outside to meet Mandela. Bizos said Mandela asked the owner of the restaurant to let the children come in to greet him.

Later in Mandela’s life, Bizos went to visit him at his home in Houghton. Bizos said Mandela’s memory was affected by this time.

“He was very serious about my well-being, while I was worried about his well-being. He would assume I wore a jacket, which I had left in my car, and would say, ‘Hey, George, don’t leave your jacket behind’,” said Bizos.

People often asked Bizos how they could appease Mandela.

“If you have money, build a school or a hospital. I will come and speak,” Mandela told Bizos in response.

Bizos said for him it came naturally to appease Mandela. He missed Madiba’s humorous nature.

Breaking News: Renowned Human Rights Advocate George Bizos has died. #RIPGeorgeBizos you were an angel on this earth and will be so sorely missed 💔

— Katy Katopodis (@KatyKatopodis) September 9, 2020

“My mother-in-law came for lunch in the northern suburbs one late afternoon, and after lunch I would take her home. Before I took her home I was asked by Madiba to do a talk and I went to his home in Houghton with my mother-in-law.

“I went inside to read the draft to him and it took about 10 minutes. Madiba walked me out to my car and saw my mother-in-law in the car and said to her, ‘What sort of a mother-in-law are you to allow your son-in-law to treat you so badly by leaving you in a car alone?’ She just laughed,” said Bizos.

At the time, Bizos expressed appreciation for the time Mandela went to Saheti School in Bedfordview, of which Bizos was a co-founder.

The Bedfordview and Edenvale NEWS reported on Mandela’s visit to Saheti School in June 1996.

Also read: Bizos honoured with a birthday ceremony at Saheti

“He became very interested in the educational standard of Saheti School. He visited the school regularly.

“He would’ve been particularly pleased with the school when 1 000 students applauded the election of a black girl as head girl in 2017,” said Bizos.

Bizos said that Mandela was always concerned about the people of SA as a whole.

“He was serious and meant it when he said South Africa belongs to all who live in it.”

Rest In Peace George Bizos Thank You for helping South Africa fight Apartheid. Rest In Power 🙏#GeorgeBizos #RIPGeorgeBizos pic.twitter.com/aBBTzA2u2S

— JJ 🇿🇦 (@JesseFJacobs) September 9, 2020