Veteran South African actor Chris April has died. April, who appeared on hit shows such as Black Sails, ER, and more, passed away on March 31 after having spent nearly two months in the hospital after sustaining serious injuries in a robbery at his Nyanga home, according to local media reports. He was 84.
“Rest in power daddy Chris ‘Bra Spokes’ April,” his daughter, Tia Anan, confirmed her father’s passing on Facebook on April 6. “He was a father, uncle, role model, legendary actor, music influencer, teacher, he was an inspiration to everybody that he came in contact with.”
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According to Johnson Puza, a spokesperson for the family, April passed away on March 31 after having spent the past several weeks in the hospital following a home robbery. Puza said, per SABC News, “that broke into his house where they caught him in his sleep. They took his items and when they were about to leave, he recognized one of them.” The assailants then allegedly “came back and injured him terribly.” April was transported to Groote Schuur hospital on Feb. 6, and remained hospitalized “until his passing at a different hospital, the Mitchell’s Plain district hospital on the 31st of March.”
IOL reports that two suspects, aged 16 and 20, were charged with possession of stolen property and attempted murder, with police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie confirming in a statement, “the case is currently before the Athlone Magistrate’s Court with the accused who last appeared on 5 April.” April’s neighbor Malibongwe Sophangisa said the suspects were apprehended after law enforcement found them walking with a wheelie bin that contained several stolen items.
April had an illustrious acting career that spanned decades, beginning with a role in the 1989 series Arende, according to his IMDb profile. That role was followed by several more throughout the ’90s, including Living the Blues, A Woman of Color, Pirates of the Plain, and The Syndicate, the series in which he starred as Mel’s foreman from 1995 until 2000. Later in his career, April landed roles on popular TV shows, including a 2006 credited appearance as “Old Man” on ER. In a 2014 appearance on the critically acclaimed Starz series Black Sails, April shared the screen with Toby Schmitz’s Jack Rackham and Zach McGowan’s Captain Charles Vane. He also notably appeared as the African Priest in the HBO miniseries The Young Pope, about the newly elected Pius XIII, as well as a safety director in the 2014 Adam Sandler-starring film Blended.
News of his passing sent shockwaves through the entertainment world. Remembering April, fellow actor Thembani Luzipho said, “he is remembered for the SABC 2 series Stokvel. He liked painting and drawing and he used to write and produce plays in Nyanga. He played flute and percussion. He was an inspiration and always ready to smile.”
