The Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria is proud to announce that the 2019 edition of the Pretoria Student Law Review (PSLR) will soon hit the shelves, and conveys its appreciation to the Editorial Board and contributors for their dedication to this journal. The Faculty also wishes to convey its appreciation to the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) for annually publishing this journal.

Simultaneously, the PSLR is sad to say goodbye to Primrose ER Kurasha, a proven leader of exceptional calibre who became the first black Editor-in-Chief of the PSLR journal. Kurasha (27), a lawyer and current doctoral candidate specialising in Private International Law, has taken great strides in academia, which speaks volumes of her dedication and exceptionalism as an intellectual, lawyer and academic.

“Bringing my editorial and leadership expertise to the PSLR and to PULP is a contribution I was definitely looking forward to making, holding fast to my values of integrity and excellence,” Kurasha says. “The branding of the Law Review in terms of its quality and reputable standard is unquestionable, and I was fortunate enough to be inheriting such a legacy of authorship and sought-after critique. Whilst the aim is to continuously provide a well-respected platform for ‘HOT’ (Honest-Open-Transparent) debate as the PSLR is known for, we, as an Editorial Board, strived to ensure that it maintained its standard of excellence and did not degenerate into a political minefield or playground.”

To date, Kurasha has published several articles, of which three have been included in the PSLR. She earned her BA Law majoring in International Relations (with a French minor), her LLB and a Master’s degree in International Trade and Investment Law in Africa from the University of Pretoria, whilst achieving lifetime membership of the distinguished Golden Key International Honour Society. She also obtained a Diploma in Private European Law from the University of Salzburg, Austria. Her prowess in International Law was acknowledged upon her acceptance to the International Court of Justice’s Hague Academy of International Law in The Hague, The Netherlands. She was among the exceptional 20% of International Law scholars awarded a scholarship by the International Court of Justice’s Hague Academy.

Kurasha is a recipient of the prestigious ABSA Bank Scholarship and the University of Pretoria Doctoral Bursary. In 2019 she was invited to sit as a Panellist Judge for the Yunus Mohamed Public Interest Law Award. Proving her exceptionalism, she has been reappointed Judge for 2020. The University of Oxford also invited her to sit as Presiding Judge for its Price Media Law Moot Court Competition. She has also served, from 2018-2019, as Presiding Judge for the South African National Schools Moot Court Competition, which is jointly hosted by the Institute for International Comparative Law in Africa at the University of Pretoria, South Africa’s Department of Basic Education, the Foundation for Human Rights, and the South African Human Rights Commission.

Kurasha has also made history in her home country, Zimbabwe, by being appointed the youngest ever Non-Executive Director of a ZSE publicly listed company, Zimpapers.

Kurasha thanked her family for always supporting and encouraging her. “To the renowned philosopher and theologian hailing from Georgetown University and New York University, who introduced me to publishing, my dear father, Prof Jemison Kurasha, ndinotenda Baba (Thank you, Dad). To my exceptional mentor and late mother, the first female Pro-Vice Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor in Zimbabwe, a world-renowned academic and diplomat par excellence, you were wise and diligent enough to build a legacy which has outlived you, Prof Primrose Kurasha, all by the grace of God. To my dear sister, best friend and economist of note, Flora Kurasha, your knees have kept me standing.”

The PSLR’s best wishes accompany Kurasha, who has had a remarkable academic career to date, and who has set a superb example for other law students.

UP’s Faculty of Law will soon advertise for the 2019/2020 Editor-in-Chief and executive members of the PSLR Editorial Board.