For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Ramaphosa makes new ConCourt appointments; ANC departs from traditional party processes to find local govt leaders ahead of elections; And, Ghana to cut fuel taxes and levies as Iran conflict drives up pump prices

Ramaphosa makes new ConCourt appointments

President Cyril Ramaphosa today announced the appointment of Justice Nambitha Christabel Dambuza-Mayosi and Justice Katharine Mary Savage as new Judges of the Constitutional Court with effect from May 1.

The appointments were made following recommendations from the Judicial Service Commission, and after consultations with Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly.

Ramaphosa lauded Judges Dambuza-Mayosi and Savage for their “unwavering dedication” to the rule of law.

Dambuza-Mayosi has served as a Supreme Court of Appeal judge since 2015 and did a stint acting as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal for an extended period.

Savage became a Judge of the Western Cape High Court in 2015 and has served as a Judge of the Labour Appeal Court since 2024.

ANC departs from traditional party processes to find local govt leaders ahead of elections

The African National Congress announced a shift in how it governs and deploys leadership, ahead of the upcoming local government elections, with plans for an intensive headhunting of mayoral candidates.

Speaking during a media briefing in Johannesburg, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said the party was entering a “decisive phase” in preparing for the 2026 local government elections, centering on the credibility of governance at local level.

The party is formally launching its mayoral and councillor candidate selection process, and is introducing a “strengthened, centralised and competency-based” approach to the identification and deployment of executive leadership in key municipalities.

In doing this, Mbalula pointed out that the ANC was taking “extraordinary steps” to ensure leadership deployed to municipalities was “capable, ethical, disciplined and accountable”.

He said the search extended beyond the traditional internal ANC processes to include experienced public representatives, professionals and specialists in governance, community leaders and veterans of government.

The ANC is also calling for public submissions, inviting communities, stakeholders and broader society to nominate individuals to serve as mayors.

And, Ghana to cut fuel taxes and levies as Iran conflict drives up pump prices

Ghana will remove some fuel taxes and charges levied along the supply chain by distributors and retailers to cushion consumers from rising pump prices driven by the Middle East conflict, government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said.

The measures are set to take effect within a week, though the specific levies to be scrapped will only be confirmed after stakeholder consultations in the coming days, he said.

Ghana imports about 70% of its refined fuel and is among many African nations hit by steep pump price increases as the US-Israeli war on Iran sent global oil prices surging.

The National Petroleum Authority earlier raised mandatory minimum price floors for the April 1–15 pricing window, pushing petrol prices up around 15% to 13.30 cedis per litre and diesel up roughly 19% to 17.10 cedis.

Consultations between the government and stakeholders will take place ahead of the next pricing window in about one week.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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