For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: DA takes ActionSA, EFF, MKP, and GOOD party to Electoral Court; Retired SCA judge appointed to FUL board; And, South Sudan's president signs election law changes ahead of December vote

DA takes ActionSA, EFF, MKP, and GOOD party to Electoral Court

The DA has launched an urgent application in the Electoral Court against ActionSA, the EFF, the MKP, and the GOOD party, accusing them of undermining electoral laws ahead of the upcoming local government elections.

The legal challenge centres on allegations that these parties are deliberately concealing their proportional representation candidates from the public by submitting lists containing just a single name.

The DA stated that the opposition parties are misinterpreting a legal provision meant for unexpected electoral surges.

The law allows the Independent Electoral Commission to ask a party to submit extra names after an election, but only if they win more seats than candidates initially registered on their PR list.

The DA said they parties are bending the rules, and attempting to mislead voters.

The DA argued that the provision was never intended to be used as a pre-planned strategy to hide councillor candidates until after the ballots are counted.

Retired SCA judge appointed to FUL board

Freedom Under Law has announced the appointment of retired Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Trevor Gorven to its board, expressing confidence in his decades of legal expertise and commitment to constitutional democracy.

FUL board chairperson Azhar Cachalia welcomed the appointment.

Gorven holds BA and LLB degrees from the University of Natal and practised at the Pietermaritzburg Bar starting in 1988. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2006 and in November 2008 he was elevated to the bench as a judge of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court.

Following substantial stints as an acting judge of appeal from 2014, Gorven was permanently appointed to the SCA in July 2021. He officially retired from the Bench in April 2024.

Over the course of his judicial career, Gorven delivered 72 reported judgments, with 37 originating from the SCA. According to Cachalia, Gorven’s judgments have critically addressed public accountability, administrative justice, access to information, refugee rights and the exercise of public power.

And, South Sudan's president signs election law changes ahead of December vote

South Sudan President Salva Kiir signed amendments to the country's election law, removing requirements that linked elections to the completion of a permanent constitution and a national census, changes that were rejected by the main opposition coalition.

The amendments are intended to clear the way for general elections scheduled for December 22, which would be South Sudan's first since independence in 2011.

The South Sudan Opposition Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties and a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement, rejected the changes, saying they were made without adequate consultation among the agreement's parties.

Kiir's longtime rival Riek Machar, who leads the main opposition SPLM-IO, has been under house arrest since March 2025 and is on trial on charges including treason and murder, which he denies.

Last week, the president replaced the head of the elections commission without giving any reason.

Kiir's office said the amendments to the National Elections Act of 2012 marked "another major milestone" in preparations for the vote.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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