News Bulletin of 19 June 2026, 1pm

President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched the Milestones of Freedom Campaign at the Union Buildings, praising the role played by anti apartheid activists in shaping South Africa’s democracy.
The year long programme marks key historical milestones including 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising, 70 years since the Women’s March and 30 years of the Constitution.
It will also bring government services closer to communities while promoting social cohesion and civic participation.
The campaign aims to strengthen unity and encourage active citizenship, with attendees reflected on what they took away from the event.

A recycling initiative in Joe Slovo, Gqeberha, has grown from a waste collection programme into a community centre supporting hundreds of families.
The Narrative 4 Sakhuvelwano Centre launched its Trash to Treasure Swap Shop in 2019, allowing residents to exchange recyclable waste for food vouchers. The project was created to tackle illegal dumping and food insecurity in the community.
The centre now serves more than 273 households and distributed nearly 2,000 food vouchers during the 2025/26 financial year. It also provides daycare, after-school support, counselling, skills development and access to a library, computer lab and community kitchen.
More than 200 learners attend the centre each week, with dozens progressing to primary school, college and university.

Ten South African universities have been ranked among the top 2 000 institutions worldwide in the latest Centre for World University Rankings survey of more than 21 000 universities.
The institutions include Wits, UCT, Stellenbosch University, UKZN, Tuks, UJ, Unisa, the University of the Free State, Rhodes University and Nelson Mandela University.
South Africa has 26 universities in total, with nearly 40 percent securing places in the global top 2 000, underscoring the strength of the country's higher education sector.