News 13:00

BULLETIN 21 April 1

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Pope Francis dies aged 88
# Minister Kubayi is confident the Bushiri’s will be extradited this year
# And two Lions are euthanized in Mpumalanga after attacking livestock

# Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 at his Vatican residence this morning. The announcement was made by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who praised the Pope’s lifelong service to the Roman Catholic Church and the poor. The pontiff suffered from pneumonia after years of respiratory illness and had returned home from hospital just weeks ago. He was appointed cardinal by Pope John Paul the second in 2001 and became Pope in 2013. He implemented significant reforms including the creation of an accountable Vatican Bureaucracy.

# Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi is confident the National Prosecuting Authority and law enforcement will successfully extradite fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri this year. Bushiri, who fled South Africa for his native Malawi in 2020 while on bail, faces charges including rape dating back to 2016, and money laundering. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Kubayi confirms government is in the final stages of the process to ensure Bushiri’s return to face justice:

# The Zion Christian Church has called on members to adhere to road regulations as they depart from their Easter pilgrimage in Moria, Limpopo. The pilgrimage took place after a five-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ZCC spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe says to enhance safety, the church has prohibited hawkers along the R71 near Moria, emphasising pedestrian vigilance and designated crossings. Meanwhile authorities have warned that traffic is set to increase in various routs as the ZCC members depart from Moria.

# Cricket: Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a seven-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. Kohli scored and unbeaten 73 and Padikkal contributed 61, and RCB reached the target of 158 with only three wickets down and seven balls to spare. Earlier, Punjab was restricted to 157 for six in their 20 overs. Prabhsimran Singh top-scored with 33, while Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma both took two wickets. The victory took RCB to third on the log.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians trashed Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets in their IPL match in Wankhede. Chennai posted a competitive 175 for five after Ravindra Jadeja scored an unbeaten 53 and Shivam Dube 50. Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets. Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav then steered Mumbai’s run chase with 76 and 68, respectively, and the team reached the target in their 16th over with just one wicket down. Mumbai is still sixth on the log, and Chennai tenth.

# And finally: Two lions were euthanised in Huntington near Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga after a week-long joint operation by Mpumalanga Tourism, SANParks, and partners. The animals had attacked livestock. SANParks’ spokesperson, Simphiwe Shingube, says dense bush and ongoing threats to cattle led to the difficult decision. A third lion was captured on Thursday. Shingube urged residents to report sightings of a fourth lion and avoid personal intervention.

Stay tuned for more news………….