Retired Judge Mtshiya remembered

Sunday Mail Reporter

THE late former High Court of Zimbabwe Judge, Justice November Tafuma Mtshiya, who died in August last year, was a man of integrity, whose role in shaping Zimbabwe’s Judiciary remains exemplary, friends and family of the late jurist have said.

Justice Mtshiya died on August 27, 2023 at the age of 77. He is survived by his wife Tawona and three children.

Speaking at a memorial service for the late judge in Harare yesterday, Justice Mtshiya’s son Nqobile Mtshiya described his father as a humble man.

“He was a man of integrity and raised us to be humble. We have gathered here to celebrate his life and what it meant to the family and friends. People who gave testimonies said his life was about love and that is very correct. He was always smiling and even in court whilst passing judgments,” he said.

Nyaradzo Group chaplain-general Rev Elison Kamupira said Justice Mtshiya left a legacy of helping the underprivileged.

“He was a lovely man, a gentleman. As a justice, he was supposed to take advantage of his position but he was not like that. He was a Christian. He taught us about the importance of education as a means of lifting the less-privileged. That is why he used to go to Epworth to help the marginalised,” he said.

The memorial service was attended by several Government officials and some members of the Judiciary.

Born in 1946, he obtained his law degree from the University of Zambia and joined private practice, working for companies such as the Zimbabwe Development Bank, Zimnat, United Sugar Refineries, Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe and Noczim.

Justice Mtshiya served as president in the Administrative Court of Zimbabwe and then as senior president of the Labour Court of Zimbabwe, until he became a High Court judge. He retired in 2016 and served in the Lesotho Supreme Court of Appeal and also as acting judge of the Zimbabwe High Court.