The future of South Africa lies in unity. These are the thoughts of freedom fighter and human rights lawyer George Bizos. He escaped German-occupied Greece with his father at the age of thirteen to South Africa. The sights that met him on his arrival tore at his heart and so began his journey of a life guided by what is right and what is wrong.
Here are five times Georgeโs story inspired us!
- โGood schools are neededโ
He recognised the challenges of individuals maintaining their culture and heritage when they left their homeland. He was a part of a venture that opened the Saheti School in Edenvale with the hope of giving the gift of eduation to all.
- โI was not prepared to take part in injusticeโ
Heย gave a speech during his first year at WITS, fighting for equal rights to be afforded to all South Africans studying at the university.
- โJustice is what is right and what is wrongโ
At 88, he continues his fight for justice and works at the the Legal Resource Centre providing services to everyone; regardless of race, class or gender.
- โAt the end of it, blood is blood. Human beings are human beingsโ
His pursuits acquainted him with other apartheid freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Duma Nokwe. His work as a defense lawyer for the resistance movements earned him titles like โcommunistโ and โterroristโ but he soldiered on.
- โLaws have to be obeyed only to the extent that they are justโ
Despite numerous threats to his life, George worked as a defense lawyer for those who were unlawfully charged.ย