Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, addressed the nation with a message of condolence on the death of Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid activist and personal lawyer, George Bizos, who died at the age of 92.
Bizos died peacefully at his home of natural causes, the family said.
Bizos, who came to South Africa as a 13-year-old fleeing the Nazi occupation of Greece, played a key role in the legal fight to end apartheid, the racist system used to oppress South Africa’s Black majority for decades.
“This is a very sad moment for our country,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
“He contributed immensely, immensely, to the attainment of our democracy” and was one of the architects of the post-apartheid constitution.