News Bulletin of 29 October 2025, 1pm

A new short film titled Sikelela: The Enoch Sontonga Story celebrates the life and legacy of the man behind South Africa’s iconic hymn, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.
Written, directed and performed by Lungile Themba, the film aims to shed light on Sontonga’s largely undocumented life and his contribution to the country’s heritage.
The premiere takes place at Ster-Kinekor Cinema in Sandton City on 2 November and will feature live performances by Themba, opera singer Ann Masina, and a full band.
The project is described as both a cinematic and musical tribute to one of South Africa’s most significant cultural figures.

The City of Cape Town is encouraging more motorists to use its drive-through licence renewal facility in Brackenfell.
The cashless service lets drivers renew their licence disks without leaving their cars and takes about five minutes if all documents are in order.
The initiative forms part of the city’s efforts to improve service delivery and cut down waiting times at traditional licensing centres.

The HALO Trust in northern Sri Lanka has safely removed its 300,000th landmine leftover from the country’s civil war.
The clearance has made 120 square kilometres of land safe again, allowing around 280,000 people to return to their homes and farmland.
HALO’s work has been ongoing for 16 years across districts including Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, and Vavuniya.
The organisation continues to clear remaining areas, opening up northern Sri Lanka to tourists and supporting the country’s economy, which earned over $3 billion from tourism in 2024.