News Bulletin of 11 October 2026, 1pm

Around 30 dedicated volunteers removed an impressive 612kg of rubbish from a 200-metre stretch of the Westdene Spruit near Melville Koppies. The clean-up, held on October 3 with representatives from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, uncovered a shocking mix of discarded clothing, food packaging, polystyrene containers and electronic waste, including television screens and computers. The discovery highlighted the scale of pollution affecting one of Johannesburg’s natural waterways.A section of the stream that has been targeted in five clean-ups this year is looking noticeably better, while school groups are getting involved by testing the water and learning about the importance of protecting the environment.

South African olive oil producer De Rustica has won the top Southern Hemisphere prize at the 2026 International Olive Council Mario Solinas Quality Awards.Its Coratina olive oil took first place, after finishing second in the competition last year.The ---De Rust-based producer competed against entries from Argentina, Chile, Australia, Brazil and Uruguay.The win makes De Rustica the first South African producer to take the Southern Hemisphere title.
De Rustica’s win is a proud milestone for South Africa’s agricultural industry, putting local olive oil on the international map. After finishing second last year, the De Rust-based producer has shown how dedication, quality and perseverance can lead to success.

Tebbutt Karate Academy celebrated an impressive performance at the KOSA Golden Lion Tournament on October 3, with 14 fighters from the Lambton-based academy winning a combined 22 gold, 16 silver and seven bronze medals.The fighters showcased their skills across several kickboxing disciplines. Among them was Luvuyo Quwe, who earned three bronze medals in his first tournament representing the club. He hopes to keep working hard towards achieving his black belt.