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

Making headlines: ConCourt rules in favour of ANC over candidate lists; Eskom revamps its strategy as monopoly fades; And, Kenya raises fuel prices as Middle East conflict lifts import costs

ConCourt rules in favour of ANC over candidate lists

The ANC has won its case against the IEC, which must now include all the party’s candidate lists on the ballot for the local government election.

Last month, the ANC claimed that the IEC’s candidate-capture system experienced technical disruptions on the final submission day, resulting in the candidate lists for six municipalities being rejected by the IEC.

The Electoral Court ruled in favour of the IEC, after which the ANC appealed to the Constitutional Court to have the ruling overturned.

The apex court set aside the IEC’s decision and ruled that it must include all the ANC’s lists on the ballot.

While the win bolsters the ANC ahead of the election, the DA is warning that the judgment raises “serious concerns” about the precedent it sets for complying with the IEC’s deadlines and requirements.

Eskom revamps its strategy as monopoly fades

South Africa’s State power utility is looking to develop new revenue streams as it prepares to unbundle and relinquish its dominance in electricity generation and transmission.

Eskom executives are meeting this week to discuss how to approach the liberalisation of the electricity market in South Africa, marking a significant shift in the utility’s public position on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s drive to reform the industry.

Eskom previously expressed concerns about plans to split the company into generation, transmission and distribution units.

But Chief Executive Officer Dan Marokane said the reforms were “irreversible” and the utility is looking ahead to supplying power to data centers, bitcoin miners and electric vehicles, generating more renewable energy and exporting bulk power to bolster its bottom line in the years ahead.

And, Kenya raises fuel prices as Middle East conflict lifts import costs

Kenya has raised the maximum retail prices of petrol and diesel, the energy regulator said, citing higher import costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

Kenya hiked petrol prices by 6% and diesel prices by 4.5%, with the East African nation relying on the Middle East region for nearly all of its fuel supplies

A litre of diesel will cost 227.76 Kenyan shillings in the capital city of Nairobi, from 217.86 shillings, while kerosene will rise to 219.87 shillings from 191.38 shillings between October 15 and November 14, when new prices will be announced.

The energy regulator said the government extended a reduction in value-added tax on fuel to 8% from 16% until January 14.

Fuel prices affect multiple sectors including transport, agriculture and construction.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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