For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, am Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Ramaphosa reinstates suspended police chief; ANC calls for mobilisation, unity following landmark ConCourt ruling; And, Ethiopia's Abiy names new Tigray government, wants polls in six months

Ramaphosa reinstates suspended police chief

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa today said he was reinstating the country's police chief, six months after he was suspended over charges he broke public finance rules in the irregular awarding of a tender.

Fannie Masemola, the national commissioner of the South African Police Service since 2022, will resume his duties on Monday after prosecutors withdrew charges linked to a R228-million police health services contract.

The presidency said prosecutors ordered the withdrawal of charges against Masemola last month, with a local court in Pretoria formally withdrawing the case shortly thereafter.

Prosecutors had accused Masemola of failing to comply with financial oversight and procurement controls linked to a police health services contract awarded to Medicare24, allegations he denied.

The contract became a focal point of the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating allegations that criminal syndicates infiltrated parts of South Africa's law-enforcement and criminal justice system.

ANC calls for mobilisation, unity following landmark ConCourt ruling

The ANC has launched a powerful call to action, urging all party structures, leagues, and alliance partners to close ranks for a “decisive victory” in the upcoming local government elections.

With the election just 19 days away, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has directed provinces, national structures, and “every capable member” to immediately deploy resources to assist the regions and districts of six heavily affected municipalities.

The surge in momentum follows a landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court, which upheld the ANC’s appeal and directed the IEC to include previously rejected candidate nominations on the ballot.

The apex court's order restores 181 ANC candidates across six municipalities.

The dispute originated in September when the party approached the Electoral Court after the IEC rejected the 181 nominations. The technical glitch occurred when electronic submissions failed to clear the final step on the IEC’s system before the strict August deadline.

Mbalula acknowledged the heavy emotional and administrative toll of the events, noting that it inevitably disrupted the local campaign machinery.

And, Ethiopia's Abiy names new Tigray government, wants polls in six months

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has named a caretaker government to stabilise the northern Tigray region and prepare for an election within six months, after fighting erupted between a rebel alliance and federal troops.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front led an offensive last month against Abiy's government, reigniting a war that killed hundreds of thousands between 2020 and 2022.

Renewed conflict has led to the severing of ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Addis Ababa accuses Asmara of backing the rebels, which Eritrea denies.

The TPLF, Tigray's ruling party, dominated Ethiopian politics for decades until Abiy took office in 2018. Since fighting erupted, Ethiopia's military and a pro-government militia have made significant advances and taken control of large parts of Tigray including the regional capital Mekelle.

The temporary administration will be in office for six months, Abiy's office said, to create a stable political climate for free and transparent elections within six months.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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