News 14:00

BULLETIN 12 September 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Lawyers For Human Rights welcomes the Constitutional Court’s ruling on gender equality in surname laws 
# Thabo Bester’s representatives are disappointed by the dismissal to stop a Netflix documentary
# And cricket: An all-female match official panel is announced for the Women’s World Cup

# The organisation Lawyers for Human Rights has welcomed the groundbreaking judgment of the Constitutional Court, which affirms that Section 26 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act is unconstitutional and unfairly discriminatory on the basis of gender. Lawyers for Human Rights’ attorney Mametlwe Sebei, says this ruling confirms that the right to choose one’s surname upon marriage is a fundamental aspect of personal identity and autonomy:

# Convicted murderer Thabo Bester’s legal counsel, Courage Morero, expressed disappointment after the High Court in Pretoria dismissed Bester and Nandipha Magudumana’s urgent bid to block Netflix’s Beauty and the Bester documentary from airing today. Judge Sulet Potterill ruled that Bester has other legal remedies and that prior restraint is not the only option. Morero argues damages won’t undo the harm but insists Bester will keep fighting to protect himself:

# Johannesburg and Tshwane is co-chairing the 2025 Urban 20 Mayoral Summit in Johannesburg, a global diplomatic initiative that amplifies urban priorities within the G20 agenda. The summit is co-convened by C40 Cities, United Cities and Local Governments. The co-chairing role positions African cities at the forefront of global urban governance and sustainable transformation. The summit will focus on climate action, sustainable development, inclusive growth, and access to finance. The key outcome, the U20 Communiqué, will deliver city-led solutions to the G20.

# Cricket: The upcoming Women’s World Cup will feature an all-female officiating panel for the first time, with 14 umpires and four match referees set to oversee the games. The group includes the trio of Claire Polosak, Jacqueline Williams and Sue Redfern, who will appear at their third World Cup. The chairperson of the International Cricket Council, Jay Shah, says this defining moment is about visibility, opportunity, and the creation of meaningful role models. The 13th edition of the tournament starts in India and Sri Lanka on the 30th.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-35-cents and the euro at 20-rand-36-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-52-cents and Bitcoin trades at 114-thousand-995-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-649-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Tshwane University of Technology’s Solar Car Project Team has been awarded the prestigious International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences Communication Prize for 2025 in Australia. The university’s entry titled, Sustainable Automotive Technologies: a TUT Case Study, beat finalists from China, India, the US, the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, Poland, Mexico and Uruguay. Solar Car Project co-manager, Johannes de Vries, says  the project is about embracing sustainable technology:

Stay tuned for more news………….