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Obituary: Joseph James’ larger than life character

Sport
I HAVE been privileged to know Joseph James, or as we would affectionately call him, Jumbo, for over 30 years and am deeply saddened by his passing away on Sunday.

I HAVE been privileged to know Joseph James, or as we would affectionately call him, Jumbo, for over 30 years and am deeply saddened by his passing away on Sunday.

BY DAVID COLTART

When I first came across him as an opponent in court he had a considerable advantage over me, having had more legal experience than me.

He was always a tough, feisty lawyer, but what struck me in those first encounters was that he had a keen sense of justice and a gentle spirit. As hard as he would fight a case he would always respect the need for balance, truth and fairness. Although I was junior to him, he would always treat me with unfailing courtesy — something I know all respected in him.

Zimbabwe has lost a legal giant — not necessarily because he reached the soaring heights of legal academia or eloquence, but because of his innate sense of what was right and wrong, and his courage, in a quiet and determined way, to redress injustice in our society.

His commitment to the rule of law was all-consuming; he was a passionate lawyer, a lawyer’s lawyer, who devoted his entire professional life to upholding the finest traditions and standards of the law profession in Zimbabwe.

His own firm was run to the highest ethical standards and in all my experience of him, his word was truly his bond. He was utterly devoted to the profession, demonstrated in his election as President of the Law Society, which he served so well. But he was also a lawyer who understood that there could be no justice if marginalised, poor people did not have fair access to the legal system.

In that regard he was one of the first to volunteer his time for the Legal Aid Clinic set up in 1983, and was one of the most devoted supporters of its successor the Bulawayo Legal Projects Centre (BLBC).

joseph james

He became a trustee of BLBC’s parent body, the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), and when he died was the LRF’s chairman. His commitment to the ideals of the LRF spanned some three decades and amply demonstrates where his heart lay.

But there was another very appealing side to Jumbo’s character — he had a great sense of humanity. Unlike so many lawyers, Jumbo was never someone puffed up by his own intellect or importance. He was a humble, yet confident, man who could interact with rich or poor, obscure or famous — and would treat them all the same.

I never found him condescending to the weak, nor did he ever try to ingratiate himself to the powerful. Indeed his consistency, his predictability in his dealings with people, was utterly refreshing. You always knew exactly where you stood with Jumbo, and how he would stand with other people too.

It is not surprising then that he was one of the first people I thought of when I had to select a new Sports and Recreation Commission board chairman. Jumbo was always fanatical about his sport, especially his beloved football.

He followed many sports and would always have a comment to make about recent sporting events. In that regard he was my perfect pick — a man of the utmost integrity, a man who would fairly and courageously tackle any issue and yet a man who also loved sport. When I asked him to become chairman he accepted immediately although he had a busy practice to run and many other commitments.

We often had to cry on each other’s shoulders as there were many frustrations in trying to tackle all the problems bedevilling sport in Zimbabwe. But he understood the challenge, remained steadfast, and achieved much, including the renovation of the Hockey Stadium in Bulawayo, the successful holding of the Youth Games in Bulawayo last year, and getting cricket back on the right track.

There were of course other areas where larger political forces intervened, such as football, preventing change, but his inability to bring about change in those disciplines was not for want of trying.

A huge hole has been left in our nation following Jumbo’s death. A fine Zimbabwean has been taken from us prematurely. He worked his entire life to realise a vision of a tolerant, just and fair Zimbabwe.

It is now up to us to keep that dream alive in honour of his memory.