News Bulletin of 21 November 2025, 3pm

Wits University graduates Coral Pillay and Kabelo Mbuyisa-Seonyane have received Rhodes Scholarships to study at Oxford University in 2026.
Pillay, an aspiring astrophysicist, will pursue a PhD on galaxy formation and supermassive black holes, building on research with South Africa’s MeerKAT+ telescope.
Mbuyisa-Seonyane will study International Development, focusing on African education and decolonial science curricula.
The Southern Africa Rhodes Trust praised both for their academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to making a positive impact in their communities.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says South Africa is making steady progress in rolling out modern, water-efficient and off-grid sanitation at schools.
She visited Tsholetsega Public School in Kagiso to highlight improvements under the SAFE Initiative, which aims to replace unsafe and undignified facilities.
The department says it has reached 98 percent of its sanitation infrastructure target, with new systems helping schools in areas where running water is unreliable.
Gwarube stressed that contractors who fail to deliver will face consequences, while the initiative continues to focus on providing safe and dignified sanitation for every learner.

A 1940 self-portrait by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has sold for 54.6 million dollars in New York, setting a new global record for the highest price paid for a painting by a woman.
The artwork, titled El Sueno and auctioned at Sotheby’s, surpassed the previous record held by Georgia O’Keeffe.
The piece shows Kahlo asleep in a floating bed beneath a skeleton, blending Mexican folkloric elements with surrealist influences.
The buyer was not identified.