South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pays tribute to anti-apartheid lawyer George Bizos at his funeral
South Africa on Thursday bade farewell to George Bizos, the "hero" anti-apartheid lawyer who represented Nelson Mandela at his trial for treason, at a state funeral filled with emotional tributes.
Bizos, a revered, soft-spoken figure, died at his Johannesburg home last week of natural causes at the age of 92.
His flag-draped coffin was wheeled into a Greek community hall by military pall-bearers on Thursday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa in attendance, before it was driven to a cemetery on a ceremonial military gun carriage.
Speakers before a small gathering of family and useful source other dignitaries -- due to coronavirus restrictions -- paid heartfelt tributes to the man who became Mandela's personal friend and defended human rights to the end of his life.
