the bell from the ss mendi turned up, it was left in a plastic bag on swanage pier last year. about the centenary was a lot of talk about the ce nte nary of was a lot of talk about the centenary of the shipwreck and this bell was just left. it had centenary of the shipwreck and this bell wasjust left. it had been centenary of the shipwreck and this bell was just left. it had been lost for decades, stripped from the wreck. theresa may will be taking it back to south africa and presenting it to the president of south africa. the ss mendi tragedy is particularly significant in south africa because during the years of apartheid the government prevented any commemoration of what was a tragedy primarily for black south africans, the majority of the victims were black. and i think gordon brown went not when he was prime minister, at one point, saying all the wrong things and made people very cross. i we nt things and made people very cross. i went to south africa once with, believe it or not, borisjohnson, as pa rt of believe it or not, borisjohnson, as part of a british council thin

a few months later, the bell from the ss mendi was left anonymously for me in dorset.rumours it had been recovered by divers. and that looks very much like a bell—shaped package with my name on it. an unsigned letter with the bell explains that they were asking me to take charge of it because of my interest in the mendi. the writer said... i know it is of importance to south african heritage and if i handed it myself it might not go to the rightful place. this needs to be sorted out before i pass away as it could get lost. for most of the past year the bell has been on display at the sea city museum in southampton, while authorities made a decision about its future. it's a local wreck and a local story for southampton but we have to look at the wider implications, the history beyond southampton and the wider meaning the bell has in other cultures and histories. the bell was collected from the museum by the royal navy, the first stage in its journey to south africa where tomorrow prime minister theresa may will present it to the country's president. a fascinating story.

now the long lost bell from the wreck of the ss mendi is to be presented by prime minister theresa maynymously to bbc south today reporter steve humphrey, who had followed the story for three decades. he sent us this report. it isa it is a bill which resonates around the world. the ship sank off the isle of wight after being rammed by another ship. 646 people died, including black south african troops on their way to do a lot of the heavy lifting and digging on the western front. last year under 100 anniversary of the tragedy the south african navy staged a ceremony at a memorial in southampton where the walls of names highlighted the scale of the disaster. if you month later the bell from the ship was left anonymously. i have been looking for it for over 30 years since i first heard rumours it had been recovered by divers, and that looks very much like a bell shaped package with my name on it. an unsigned letter with developer explains that they were asking me to take charge of it because of my interest in the ship. the writer said,... i know it is of importance to south african herit

the ss mendi was on its way to the western front to support british troops when it sank off the islemed by a british merchant ship in thick fog, killing more than 600 south africans. the bell has been on display at southampton‘s seacity museum, but will be handed over south africa's president cyril ramaphosa in cape town. we will have coverage of the ceremony from midday. police in the west midlands have made a direct plea to a 21—year—old man wanted over the double murder of a mother and daughter. detectives want to question janbaz tarin over the stabbing of his ex—partner raneem oudeh and her mother, khaola in solihull yesterday. jenny kumar reports. a mother and her daughter stabbed to death. raneem oudeh was 22 years old. her mother, khaola saleem, was 49. their families say they're devastated by their loss. officers are searching for raneem oudeh‘s former partner in connection with the murders. they're appealing to 21—year—old janbaz tarin to hand himself in. the police discovered the women with serious stab wounds here in the early hours of monday morning. they were confirmed d

also coming up — the bell from the ss mendi handed back to south africa by the british government.heresa may has called for a new partnership with africa after brexit, based on shared security, prosperity, and job creation. in a speech in cape town, the prime minister announced a change in the way uk aid money will be spent in africa. it will be used not only to combat poverty, but also to tackle extremism and migration. she also said she wanted britain to be the g7‘s leading investor in the african continent by 2022. our political correspondent ben wright has been travelling with the prime minister and has sent this report. bringing a new rhythm to an old relationship. the uk and south africa go back a long way, and theresa may began her trip to cape town at a school symbolising, she said, the youth dynamism of many african nations. this is a trade mission underpinned by a promise, a new partnership between the uk and africa. the prime minister pledged £4 billion to support african economies, and she wants that to be matched by the private sector. mrs may said it was essential to