Top news items of S. African major media outlets

The following are highlights of South African major media outlets on Thursday.

-- South Africans could soon be able to afford a cup of coffee at Heathrow, following a 16% gain by the rand against the British pound in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

In a remarkable turnaround the rand has returned to levels it last held a year ago, trading at about R19, despite the weak economy and looming threat of recession. (Business Day)

-- There has been a substantial increase in farm attacks in South Africa since 2012, statistics by the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU SA) revealed on Tuesday.

The statistics include farm attacks and murders in the country since 1990 up to June in 2016. (News24)

-- The South African Communist Party (SACP) has welcomed an African National Congress (ANC) statement, distancing itself from editorial decisions at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

Speaking during a picket outside the public broadcaster's headquarters in Auckland Park, Johannesburg on Wednesday, the SACP deputy general-secretary Solly Mapaila said the ANC's stance was a reflection of the party's core values.(South African Broadcasting Corporation) Endit