George Bizos: a passion for justice

George Bizos leaves a prodigious legacy, but he will probably be most well remembered ' and most revered 'for three small words. It was at his suggestion that Mandela added the words 'if needs be' after his assertion 'I am prepared to die' in his unforgettable statement at the Rivonia Trial, where he and other ANC members were being tried for treason. It is widely believed that these three words contributed immensely to the Rivonia trialists' being sentenced to life imprisonment, rather than being given the death sentence that they realistically expected.