The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on Monday announced the names of shortlisted candidates to be interviewed in April for a number of judicial positions in various superior courts‚ including two vacancies at the Constitutional Court.

The announcement follows the commission's call in October for nominations to fill the vacancies.

The 22 shortlisted candidates will be notified of the date‚ time and venue of their interviews.

The commission also announced on Monday that it will interview justice Xola Mlungisi Petse following his nomination by President Cyril Ramaphosa for the vacant position of deputy president of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

Ramaphosa nominated Petse on February 2‚ in accordance with section 174(3) of the constitution‚ which states that the president‚ after consulting the JSC‚ appoints the president and deputy president of the SCA.

"The president thus seeks the views of the JSC on the suitability or otherwise of justice Petse for the position of deputy president of the SCA‚" the JSC said in a statement.

"The chief justice has responded to the president‚ indicating that the JSC will interview justice Petse at its April sitting‚ whereafter it will provide the president with its views."

There are six candidates for two vacancies at the ConCourt who will be interviewed by the JSC at its April sitting.

The constitution states that JSC must prepare a list of nominees with three names more than the number of appointments to be made and then submit that list to the president.

Candidates to be interviewed for the ConCourt vacancies are high court judges Annali Basson‚ Patricia Goliath‚ Jody Kollapen and Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane and SCA judges Stevan Majiedt and Zukisa Tshiqi.

The JSC will also interview nine judges for five vacancies at the SCA. They are Daniel Dlodlo‚ Trevor Gorven‚ Caroline Nicholls‚ Yvonne Mbatga‚ Pieter Meyer‚ Fikile Mokgohloa‚ Selewe Mothle‚ Clive Plasket and Owen Rogers.

The JSC will also interview Feziwe Renqe and Onica van Papendorp for a single vacancy at the Grahamstown high court.

Labour court judges Edwin Molahlehi and André van Niekerk will be interviewed for the vacant position of deputy judge president of the labour and labour appeal courts.

Judges Bulelwa Pakati and Mmathebe Phatsoane will be interviewed for the vacant deputy judge president position at the Northern Cape division of the high court.

No candidates were shortlisted for a vacancy at the electoral court.