POLOKWANE – She said the new court serves as an opportunity that the Polokwane Municipality welcomes as it will lead to growth in the city, and the province.
Nkadimeng said the municipality has received a number of applications from big law firms that wish to operate satellite offices in the vicinity of the high court, which has led to the decision to transform an entire street in the city to accommodate potential businesses.
“This means the land around the court is being contested already,” said the mayor. She added that the area from Bodenstein to Biccard Street will be converted into a boulevard to accommodate business growth such as restaurants and coffee shops associated with the high court. She continued, stating the conversion will ensure the street is user friendly for pedestrians and that there is ample space for businesses to grow.
“We expect that in the next 36 months, the area has a much better look and feel from what you see now,” she said.
Nkadimeng said the presence of the high court will contribute to the city’s local economic development programme, creating no less than 200 short-term job opportunities. Apart from that, the court employs close to 80 people from the local area – excluding attorneys and the eight sitting judges. She said with the land claims court expected to operate in the city in the next year, the number of employees is expected to double.
Per the mayor, all these plans are indicative of growth to ensure that business in the area thrives and job opportunities are created.
From an operations point of view, Nkadimeng said the best part about the new court based in the city is that it cuts out time and travel costs for people who in the past, would have had to travel to Gauteng for court hearings.
