More than 4 000 people have already signed a petition opposing a recommendation that the Eastern Cape High Court seat be moved from Makhanda to Bhisho.

A Daily Dispatch report says the recently established Makhanda High Court Action Committee began circulating the petition in print and online just two weeks ago. The petition warns that the move of the seat to Bhisho – which would see the Makhanda court losing two-thirds of its jurisdiction – would prove crippling for the city and catastrophic for its economy.

According to Makhanda attorney Brin Brody, there has been united opposition to the recommendation in the area, including from the Makhanda local municipality and the Sarah Baartman district municipality.

United under one banner to oppose the recommendation are about 100 local businesses, dozens of NGOS and other organisations, churches and schools, over 30 attorney firms, both of the city’s Advocates’ Chambers as well as the Legal Resources Centre, Legal Aid Board and Rhodes Law Clinic.

‘Uprooting the seat of the court would be disruptive to the administration of justice in the province,’ the petition says.

Brody confirmed the resuscitated Makhanda High Court Action Committee – which successfully opposed the last attempt to move the court 12 years ago – would make written submissions to the committee expressing reasons for the united opposition to the proposed move.

Full Daily Dispatch report