News Bulletin of 24 May 2026, 9am

Up to 40 children will receive free cleft lip and palate surgeries in Johannesburg this month through a programme hosted by Operation Smile South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital.The three-day initiative aims to help reduce Gauteng’s cleft surgery backlog while also supporting the training of young medical specialists. Around 50 volunteer healthcare professionals, including surgeons, nurses, and speech therapists, will take part from 29 to 31 May.This year also marks 20 years of Operation Smile South Africa providing free cleft surgeries and care across the region.

Food Lover’s Market has launched its 10th annual Hunger Month campaign in South Africa, with a goal of providing 10 million meals this month. In partnership with FoodForward SA and supplier partners, the retailer is recovering surplus food into food support for households facing hunger.Since the campaign began, Hunger Month has delivered more than 21.5 million meals nationwide, with this year’s drive focused on growing support across its retail network.

South Africa has won gold at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. This was from a garden inspired by regeneration after wildfires in the Fynbos biome. Led by designer Leon Kluge, the exhibit used burnt protea structures, indigenous plants, and flowing water features to show how nature recovers and rebuilds after fire. Despite heavy rain in the Western Cape and flight disruptions that nearly delayed the shipment of plants, the team still managed to complete the display in time. The garden will now be recreated in Stanford, Western Cape in September.