News Bulletin of 4 August 2025, 4pm

A new 200mm steel pipe has been installed on Bosbok Road in Randpark Ridge, bringing relief to residents after weeks of water outages.
Johannesburg Water completed the replacement on August 1, upgrading the old 150mm asbestos pipe that had suffered repeated bursts following earlier flood damage.
Ward 134 councillor Devon Steenkamp says the upgrade is a step in the right direction, but urges the city to prioritise stormwater maintenance to protect the new infrastructure.
He’s also called for a full site cleanup and better planning to avoid future failures.

South African-born Professor Michele Dougherty has become the first woman appointed Astronomer Royal in the United Kingdom in the role’s 350-year history.
Dougherty was born in KwaZulu-Natal and developed a love for space as a child when her father built a telescope at home. That early curiosity eventually led to a career in space science.
She played a key role in NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn and the European Space Agency’s mission to Jupiter’s icy moons.
Now one of the most respected voices in UK science, she also chairs the Science and Technology Facilities Council and continues to design space instruments.
Dougherty says she hopes her appointment will show young people that they too can reach for the stars.

A new partnership between Tiger Brands and Mogale City is bringing daily breakfasts to over 1,200 learners in Gauteng.
The initiative, launched in Kagiso, forms part of Tiger Brands’ growing school nutrition programme.
In addition to meals, 300 deserving learners received brand-new school shoes
The project aims to improve focus, attendance and health among children from food-insecure communities.
With a R8.7 million investment over five years, two schools will benefit in Gauteng and the Free State.
Tiger Brands has already provided over 149 million meals nationally and continues to support schools with kitchen upgrades, training for food handlers and essential supplies.