Cyril Ramaphosa, Mmusi Maimane and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi Convey Condolences After Pope Francis Death

• South African politicians have conveyed their condolences after Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88
• The sovereign head of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church died after a long battle with an illness
• President Cyril Ramaphosa, Build One SA's president Mmusi Maimane, the president of the Democratic Alliance John Steenhuisen, and Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were among those who saluted the Pope

Tebogo Mokwena, an experienced Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed political and traditional leadership coverage to Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for seven years in South Africa.

JOHANNESBURG — Politicians have conveyed their condolences to Pope Francis after he passed away at the age of 88 and saluted him for the role he played as a Christian leader.

What did politicians say?

Politicians took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their condolences of the passing of the Pope, who died after he battled an illness. His death came weeks after he was discharged from hospital following a bout of pneumonia.

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Dean Macpherson, the Democratic Alliance's Kwazulu-Natal chairperson and the Minister of Public Works, who is a Catholic, passed his condolences on his @DeanMacpherson X account.

"He joins the angels and saints to celebrate the work he has on earth. A wonderful example of selfish service to humanity," he said.

View his X tweet here:

Mmusi Maimane, the president of Build One SA, posted a video on his @MmusiMaimane X account in which he delivered a message of condolences to the Pope. He called him a champion for the poor, Africa and a reformer.

Maimane said as one who grew up in a Catholic church, he understood the significance of the death of a pope to Catholics.

"He did an incredible amount of working for fighting for Cardinals to be included from Africa, and he fought for reparations. My most memorable moment that I can think about this pope is that he spent an inordinate amount of time fighting for the poor and for justice. It's moments like this that we reflect on how his legacy will be continued and continue the fight for justice and for the pope," he said.

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View the X video here:

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi praises the Pope

Ndlozi posted on his @MbuyiseniNdlozi X account and sang Pope Francis's praises. He said Francis was a progressive Pope.

"He appealed to world leaders to fight poverty, hunger and leading development instead of yielding to the logic of fear that wads to isolation, calling these "weapons of peace": help the needy, to fight the hunger, and to encourage initiatives that promote development," he said.

View the X tweet here:

Cyril Ramaphosa passes his condolences

President Cyril Ramaphosa also conveyed his condolences on his @CyrilRamaphosa X account.

"His extraordinary life story and ascendancy to the Holy See unfolded with humility and a profound commitment to making the Church and the world a better place for all of humanity.

Following so soon after the celebration of Easter, Pope Francis’ passing will extend this traditional period of prayer and reflection, which will unite the Church and the international community in reflecting on the Holy Father’s life and legacy," he said.

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View the X tweet here:

Catholic deacon found dead in Ga Rankuwa

In another Catholic-related article, Briefly News reported that a catholic deacon was found dead in Pretoria ion August of 2023. He was found hanging from a tree in Ga-Rankuwa.

Victor Mabuse's body was found days after his daughter reported him missing when he did not return from church. The South African Police service launched an investigation into his death.

Source: Briefly News