Mourning the Passing of Beloved Colleague - Joachim John Jacobs
Joachim was a GEAS colleague, a deeply knowledgeable community liaison for research in South Africa, and a very wonderful person.
It is with deep grief and sadness that I announce the passing away of Joachim John Jacobs, who served as the Director of the HIV & AIDS Programme at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Mr Jacobs passed away on July 8th at the age of 60 due to COVID-19-related illnesses.
Mr Jacobs obtained his BA honours in Psychology from UWC in 1983 and graduated with his Master’s in Psychology in 1990. He worked as a lecturer in psychology from January 1986 until 2014 before he became the Director of the HIV & AIDS Programme from October 2014 until his death.
Even before his work with the HIV & AIDS Programme, Mr. Jacobs worked very closely for many years with Professor Brian O’Connell. They enjoyed a very close personal and professional relationship. Mr. Jacobs used to say that it is Prof. O’Connell who once told him that the success of a person is not defined by what he or she accomplishes, but by who they take along with them. Mr. Jacobs more than lived up to Prof. O’Connell’s words.
Dr James Lees worked with Mr J, as he was affectionately known to students and friends, for over 17 years, and recalls that he ran the Peer Education Programme, and upon the retirement of Tania Vergnani, he became Director. He shared: “He believed that together, we are so much more than when we are apart. His life was about weaving us all together, rich and poor, young and old, wounded and healed.
“He saw everyone equally and loved everyone equally, even if he had just met them. He never judged, unless it was about food or cars! He never sought credit or praise for anything he accomplished. And he made us better people. He did not know how to live life any other way.
“There are endless young people, university students, who became HIV peer educators whose lives were changed by Joachim. He believed in people and showed them their own possibilities and helped them discover their own strengths. He was so proud of the many peer educators who have gone on to do wonderful work helping others in all they do”.
Dr Lees said Mr Jacobs was passionate about the University’s response to HIV & AIDS, including prevention and fighting for those who had it. “You will remember the intense stigma around HIV in the earlier days of the pandemic when students and staff members had little choice but to hide their HIV positive status."
According to Dr Lees, Mr J was also passionate about responding to the trauma of sexual violence against women and children. “Through the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, he sat with countless groups of young women and young men around South Africa who have suffered terrible sexual abuse. He facilitated safe spaces so that young people could tell their stories, often for the first time.”
Dr Lees continued: “He was an integral part of the ZAMANAWE project, developing HIV peer education at universities in South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Namibia, and leaves colleagues in those places devastated. For over a decade, he worked closely with UWC’s Prof. Lisa Wegner, colleagues Drs. Linda Caldwell and Ed Smith, and others from UWC and Penn State University in the United States on the Healthwise Project which trained teachers to run life skills programmes with high school learners. The research conducted by the Healthwise team generated important findings about young people’s lives in South Africa and the way life orientation programmes and teachers can better respond to young people’s many emotional and academic needs.”
Rashid Ahmed, who also worked with Mr Jacobs for many years, said words cannot capture the immensity of Mr Jacobs’ contribution, initially to the Department of Psychology, the HIV & AIDs Unit, and to the communities he served. “He was one of the pioneers in the development of the Psychology’s Resource Centre which was a significant historical moment in the development of a socially relevant psychology in South Africa.
“Within this, he was probably most passionate about rural community outreach work and was involved in several outreach projects reaching as far as Beaufort West. He engaged in this work with very limited resources, in addition to his other departmental duties, and always with his many characteristic and endearing qualities like humour, selflessness, kind heartedness and humility.
“He approached his teaching with the same commitment and passion as his community engagement. He had such a mastery of the field that he was able to teach so many different courses. He had the amazing ability to work with colleagues and students with such diverse backgrounds and views,” noted Rashid.
Dr. Vincent Bosman described Mr Jacobs as “an innovator and servant leader”, and said in conversation with colleagues that they pointed out ground-breaking projects he was involved with like the Tele-psychology initiative with the MRC (Medical Research Council) that was probably a world first at the time.
“He was one of the first students to do a Master’s degree at the Psychology department under the guidance of Prof Fanie Sonn who at the time had just returned from America. Prof Sonn commented that it was unheard of for people of colour to pursue Master’s studies at the time, in the early 80s, given the political context, and added that Joachim was one of a group of very special people.”
According to Dr Bosman, Mr J later joined the department as a laboratory assistant, helping students, and ended up as a lecturer and supervisor. Joachim was also a founder member of Paarl Students Association in the 80s, driven by UWC students to protest the injustices of the time, and in 1988 he was one of the founder members of Grassroots Educational Projects in Paarl.
“The organisation did a lot of work in the community, and Joachim’s contribution was in high schools especially. He did seminal work in the areas of teaching learners coping mechanisms under extremely difficult circumstances, as well as study techniques. His deep sense of community is also evident in the counselling he did at schools, both with learners and the rugby teams at school and provincial level,” said Dr Bosman.
Joachim was psychologist to the SARU Boland Rugby SA Cup final team and loved running mental training sessions with Under 19A teams and Klein Nederbeurg Secondary school learners and matriculants.
“Joachim has been a man for all seasons; he worked in development, sport, youth, the implementation of media and technology in education and development in the field of HIV/AIDS,” concluded Dr Bosman.
UWC Institutional Planner, Larry Pokpas, also paid tribute to Mr Jacobs, describing his as “a stalwart” seconded from Psychology to lead projects such as the HIV project “at a time when it was still an upheaval to convince key constituents and empower students to take initiative in universities and communities. I recall some of his (and Tanya Vergnani’s ) work with universities in Zambia, Malawi and Namibia, funded by NORAD, which later formed the basis for the establishment of SANORD. Our condolences to Hilary and the kids. Truly a sad loss”.
Umesh Bawa, Director of the International Relations Office, said Mr Jacobs epitomises all that UWC values dear: compassion, a commitment to community and an unwavering focus on social justice. “He was assigned as my mentor when I joined the Psychology department in 1989. His first walkabout was to take me along to meet, as he said, the most important people at UWC.
“We met the UWC printing team at SteelPark, the porters at the library, the administrators at the exams office, and the campus security officers. He engaged with them all in his garrulous and affable manner, introducing the new recruit to all the cogs that made our students' lives better. As he did mine. He did this with humility and an unflinching focus and warmth. A mighty baobab has fallen. Strength to his family and colleagues''.
Georgia Arnold, Director of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, said, "The world is a lesser place today, but it is so much better for what Joachim left behind".
Mr J’s brother, Advocate Donald Jacobs SC, has thanked UWC “for creating a space and a platform for him to be a service to society and community at large”.
The views expressed above so accurately describe the Joachim we know and love, and they have captured the very essence of who he was, for our remembrance. I have known Joachim for more than 30 years, from the time we started together as Junior Lecturers in Psychology. Over this period we became more than colleagues and formed a lasting friendship. On my return to Psychology he reported to me in his capacity as Director of the HIV & Aids unit. What will always stay with me was his cheerful spirit, and his booming and infectious laughter. No matter how serious our regular one-on-one meetings became, he could always be trusted to break the ice with that laugh.
The University has been battered over the last few weeks and we all mourn the loss of our beloved UWC colleagues and stalwarts: Joachim Jacobs, Frank Sam and William Borraine. These three colleagues served UWC for a combined total of 99 years. We salute them for their years of selfless service and dedication to UWC.
Mr Jacobs is survived by his wife, Hilary, two sons, Kurt and Delano, and Delano's wife Melissa who he adored, as well as his mother, sister and brothers. Details of his funeral and memorial service will be announced in due course.
A memorial bursary fund is being established to honour our colleague and dear friend, at the Klein Nederburg Secondary School in Paarl where Hilary taught for her whole life and Joachim provided important counselling, rugby support and HIV training for the learners and teachers.
Tonight at 8pm I will be lighting a candle and spending some time reflecting on my interactions with these three colleagues and the ways in which they touched my life. I invite the university community to join me in this candle lighting occasion, and in the silence of your own homes, to honour and celebrate our departed colleagues.
Professor Tyrone Pretorius
Rector and Vice-Chancellor