News 06:00

BULLETIN 22 April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says Pope Francis sought to unite humanity
# A probe is underway after Paul Mashatile’s convoy was shot at
# And minister Creecy welcomes a drop in Easter road deaths

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says that as the leader of the Church and a global figurehead, Pope Francis advanced a world view of inclusion, equality, and care for marginalised individuals and groups. The Pontiff, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday morning at the age of 88. He was recently discharged from the hospital after weeks of treatment for pneumonia. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says Pope Francis was committed to making the world a better place for all humanity:

Meanwhile, the DA has extended condolences to Catholics worldwide following the death of Pope Francis. DA leader John Steenhuisen praised the Pope’s progressive leadership and compassion for the marginalised. Steenhuisen noted that Francis, as both head of state of Vatican City and leader of the Holy See, consistently advocated for peace and tolerance. The pontiff made his final public appearance for Easter Sunday in St Peter’s Square on Sunday.

# Police and the Presidential Protection Unit have launched an investigation after deputy president Paul Mashatile’s official vehicle was shot at. Mashatile was returning from an ANC national executive committee meeting when his convoy was shot at in Boksburg, near the N12, a few weeks ago. Speaking to the media over the weekend, Mashatile says he won’t be drawn into speculation as to whether foul play was suspected:

# Transport minister Barbara Creecy has welcomed a reduction in road accidents and fatalities over the Easter Weekend. Preliminary reports indicate that the N1 corridor recorded no fatal crashes. Creecy attributes this to intensified law enforcement and public awareness efforts but expresses concern over ongoing incidents of drunk driving and attempts to bribe traffic officials. She urged motorists to remain vigilant on the roads:

# Union federation Cosatu has expressed deep concern over the fire at the emergency unit of Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng. It says hospitals must be safe spaces, yet recurring fires, like the one at Charlotte Maxeke in 2021, risk lives and strain resources. The organisation urges the Departments of Health and Labour to urgently assess infrastructure and staff safety across all hospitals in the province as well as calls for accountability.

# Rugby: Stormers’ Springbok forward Deon Fourie’s future is in doubt after suffering a serious leg injury during the weekend’s United Rugby Championship match against Connacht. He had to hobble off the field only minutes after coming off the bench. Coach John Dobson says it looks like the 38-year-old suffered a broken tibia which could keep him out for the rest of the year. Fourie told Dobson after a previous long-term injury he doesn’t want to end his career being taken off the field on a golf cart.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-69-cents and the euro at 21-rand-57-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-231-dollar-50-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-438-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….