For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Court bid to allow independent candidates in election fails, Ramaphosa and Semenya in Time's 100 influential list And, South Sudan offers to mediate political transition in Sudan

 

Court bid to allow independent candidates in election fails

An application to have South Africa's electoral laws amended to expressly allow independent candidates to stand in the election has been dismissed in the Western Cape High Court.

Judge Siraj Desai dismissed the New Nation Movement and others' application without a cost order. 

The applicants asked the court for an order compelling Parliament to remedy the "invalidity" of electoral laws to allow independent candidates to stand for national or provincial election before the May 8 poll.

 

Ramaphosa and Semenya in Time's 100 influential list

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Olympic Champion Caster Semenya are among Time Magazine's 100 influential people in the world for this year.

The famed list is released annually and features pioneers, icons, leaders and artists from across the globe. 

Ramaphosa is featured in the leaders category along with US President Donald Trump, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Pope Francis and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Time described Ramaphosa as having ''perfected the art of patience.''

 

South Sudan offers to mediate political transition in Sudan

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has offered to help mediate a political transition in Sudan after the fall of autocratic president Omar al-Bashir Kiir's office has said. 

Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup, was toppled last week by the military, which has vowed free elections within two years.

However, protesters remain in the streets, demanding an immediate handover to an interim civilian authority.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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