News 13:00

BULLETIN 13 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Six people die just an hour apart in two fires in Cape Town
# Five people have been stabbed to death in an Australian shopping centre
# And, tennis: Djokovic reaches a record 77th Masters semifinal at Monte Carlo

# Four people died and four others sustained varying degrees of burn wounds when a fire broke out at a house in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, early this morning. The city’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, says another fire claimed the lives of two children in Khayelitsha. In Bonteheuwel, crews were confronted by a house fully engulfed in flames:

# Education activist Hendrick Makaneta applauds Higher Education and Innovation minister Blade Nzimande for appointing a chartered accountant to manage the affairs of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. The appointment of the CEO of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants, Freeman Nomvalo, inspires confidence. Makaneta says the scheme’s new sheriff brings a wealth of experience, particularly in the field of finance and auditing:

Meanwhile, the South African Parastatal and Tertiary Institutions Union is deeply concerned about the lack of adequate water supply at several campuses of Higher Education institutions. It wants government to urgently take steps to ensure all institutions are provided with the water supply needed for effective functioning. SAPTU general secretary, Ben van der Walt, says the trade union will also support management in their efforts to ensure an adequate and stable water supply.

# Five people have been killed and several others, including a small child, are injured after a knife-wielding attacker rampaged through a busy Sydney shopping centre today. Australian police say a policewoman shot the unidentified assailant dead. The motive for the attack remains unclear, but New South Wales police assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke says “terrorism” cannot be ruled out at this stage. Security camera footage broadcast by local media showed a man wearing an Australian rugby league jersey running around the shopping centre with a large knife.

# And, tennis: Novak Djokovic reached a record 77th Masters semifinal when he defeated Australia’s Alex de Minaur in straight sets in Monte Carlo. The 36-year-old world number one won the quarterfinal match 7-5, 6-4 to make the last-four for the first time since 2015 when he went on to claim his second title at the tournament. Djokovic, the oldest man to make the Monte Carlo semifinals in the Open Era, will take on Casper Ruud of Norway for a place in tomorrow’s championship match.

Stay tuned for more news………….