News Bulletin of 13 January 2026, 4pm

Wits University graduates Coral Pillay and Kabelo Mbuyisa-Seonyane have been named Rhodes Scholars, one of the world’s most prestigious postgraduate awards.
The scholarship will take them to Oxford University in October 2026, joining a global community of young leaders.
Pillay, an aspiring astrophysicist, will research galaxies, black holes, and the evolution of the universe.
Mbuyisa-Seonyane, an educator and development researcher, will focus on International Development, including decolonial education, African development, and the green transition.
The Southern Africa Rhodes Trust congratulated the pair, praising their academic excellence, leadership, and dedication to making a social impact.

Communities and organisations across South Africa came together last week to help Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuaryin Stanford, Western Cape, rescue lions, leopards, jaguars, tigers, and other animals as wildfires swept through the area.
With quick action and support, many of the sanctuary’s big cats—including Leopards Gabriel and Pardus, tiger Arabella, and lions Jade and Zakara—were safely relocated to sanctuaries across the country.
The team at Panthera says the outpouring of help was overwhelming and will allow them to focus on caring for the remaining animals and rebuilding stronger than before.

A female orangutan rescued from captivity in Borneo, Indonesia has been released back into the wild after four years of rehabilitation.
Charlotte was found as a juvenile chained inside a wooden cabin and was rescued by the Borneo Orangutan Rescue Alliance in partnership with Indonesia’s forestry and environment ministry.
She was taken to a rehabilitation centre run by the Orangutan Project, where she spent four years learning essential survival skills including climbing, foraging and building nests.
During that time, carers helped her develop the abilities she would normally learn from her mother in the wild.
In 2025, she was released into the Busang Ecosystem in East Borneo.
Conservationists say she is well prepared for life in the forest and is expected to adapt successfully, potentially rejoining other rehabilitated orangutans in the area.