By Linda Pona
Less than two weeks ago, the much-anticipated National Arts Festival (NAF) came to an end. Hosting the festival for the 49th year, the town was abuzz with festival goers as they came to see national and international artists perform and enjoy what the town has to offer.
Though the festival was a success, the town is plagued by several issues, such as potholes and the ongoing water crisis. The people are angry and disappointed with service delivery; this was apparent in the NAF opening ceremony, where Makhandans expressed these issues to the Mayor. More concerning for Makhandans is the pending decision on whether the High Court move to Bhisho or whether will stay in Makhanda.
This move will devastate our economy, which, according to Rhodes University Vice Chancellor, Sizwe Mabizela, would result in over 5000 job losses, this is in addition to the already high unemployment rate. Given the small town population, this loss would be dire to the town and its economy.
Moreover, there are various failed attempts to move the high court; however, in 1998, the Hoexter Commission showed that the effects of moving the high court would cripple the economy. This echoes the words of a Makhanda Youth leader who likened the move to “Day Zero, with no prospect of rain anytime soon”.
Although in his visit, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola suggests that the recommendation is that only the seat will move rather than the whole court, research shows that this move would have more dire consequences for Makhanda.
Although Lamola came to Makhanda to address the various stakeholders about the move, he claims it was his first time hearing the concerns of the citizens of Makhandans, which is correctly met with scepticism from those present at the meeting because this has been an ongoing conversation. So while Lamola takes all facts into consideration, I hope he will let the people of Makhanda know soon, whether the court will indeed move, as daunting as a move would be for the economy.
