At just 24 years old, Alizwa Zisile, a Doctor of Laws (LLD) candidate at the University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) Faculty of Law, is already making her mark in the legal scholarly community, both locally and internationally.
Among the standout moments in her academic journey was her participation in an international academic exchange and engagement at Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC) de Campinas in São Paulo, Brazil.
Ms Zisile, who graduated with her LLM with distinctions in all five her coursework modules last month, is also the recipient of the Faculty’s 2024 Best LLM Student Award, which was sponsored by Justice Nambitha Dambuza.
Currently, she works as a time-on-task lecturer in the Faculty of Law and is preparing to present at the upcoming Southern African Law Teachers’ Conference (SALTC) in July, following the acceptance of her paper.
The SALTC is a biennial conference hosted by a partner university in collaboration with the Society for Law Teachers of Southern Africa. It brings together legal educators, scholars, practitioners, and members of the legal community to advance legal education and research across the SADC region. This year, the conference is hosted by the University of Pretoria.
Zisile’s paper for the conference is inspired by her proposed PhD thesis and her presentation in Brazil titled: “Equity and the Public Interest: South Africa’s Competition Policy in Advancing Human Rights.”
“Through this paper, I want to delve deeper into competition policy as a tool for economic transformation,” she said.
Born a Leader
Ms Zisile was born in East London and later moved to her father’s homestead in Tsholomnqa at age 15. She completed her matric at Greenpoint Secondary School in 2018, passing with three distinctions. During her final year, she served as Head Girl, demonstrating early leadership potential.
In 2019, she enrolled for her LLB degree at UFH, her first-choice university, and graduated four years later.
In 2024, she took her studies to the next level by enrolling in the LLM Competition Regulation programme. While completing her studies, she worked as a Student Assistant in the Office of the Dean, where she gained valuable exposure to the inner workings of the academic space.
Her hard work and dedication soon paid off when she received the award for Best LLM Student in the Competition Regulation coursework programme during the 2024 Law Faculty Student Excellence Awards.
What makes Zisile’s accomplishment even more remarkable is that she was the first student to complete the Competition Regulation programme within a year since its inception, a feat she attributes to her personal drive and determination to get things done.
“I always strive to get things done quickly to move to the next assignment. When I informed my supervisor, the late Dr Simphiwe Bidie, of my intention to complete the degree in one year, he assured me that I could do it,” she said.
A Passion for Justice
Zisile’s passion for law was first ignited in Grade 9 during an EMS class, where she took part in a classroom play and was cast as a lawyer. “My performance caught the attention of my teacher, who encouraged me to consider pursuing law as a career.”
Curiously, she began researching the legal profession and soon uncovered the deep levels of injustice that persist in society, such as gender-based violence. “This discovery fuelled my determination to pursue a career in law, not just to practice, but to actively contribute to creating a more just world.”
Initially, Zisile aspired to become a lawyer and later considered a career as an advocate, until the academic bug bit her during her trip to Brazil. During her trip, she formed part of a delegation led by Dean Prof Mzukisi Njotini and Prof Enyinna Nwauche that participated in a series of lectures and academic engagements in celebration of Black Awareness Day, a significant event that honours the contributions of the Black community to Brazil’s history.
“Presenting my work to students in Brazil inspired me to become an academic. I now want to contribute to this field through research, teaching, and exchanging knowledge that will contribute to building a more just society.”
Zisile has since set her sights on becoming a young law professor within the next ten years, a goal she says is driven by her passion for academics and her desire to help balance gender representation in the academic space.