August 21, 2014.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Sashnee Moodley.
Making headlines:
 

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says cracks and weaknesses in public oversight should be of concern to Parliament.

South Africa is ranked number one in the global transport price index.

And, Ebola fears are slowing tourist flows to Africa.

 

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said on Wednesday that cracks and weaknesses in public oversight should be of concern to Parliament.

Madonsela gave an example of whistle blowers left in limbo for 10 months since October 2013, with one out of work since December.  She told a workshop organised by two portfolio committees that some oversight structures had incomplete mandates and may not have the power to remedy administrative wrongs or conduct failures.

She explained that the National Development Plan (or NDP) recognised overlaps and noted cracks and poor coordination. The NDP further recommended strengthening through resourcing, improved coordination and respect of her office.

Madonsela said that even though overlaps were impossible to eradicate since her office operated within multi-agency oversight structures, the focus should be on preventing duplication.

 

A global transportation price index has ranked South Africa the cheapest overall for bus, trains and aeroplane travel for every 100 km out of 51 countries.

Online platform GoEuro compared the average price of 100 km of rail, road or air movements between the most populous provinces in each country, taking into account the distance, scheduling and taxes.

South Africa came in at the least expensive overall, with the average bus journey costing $3.67/100 km, train journeys costing $1.88/100 km and flights costing $11.63/100 km.

 

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is putting off thousands of tourists who had planned trips to Africa this year, especially Asians, including to destinations thousands of miles from the nearest infected community such as Kenya and South Africa.

Ebola, a hemorrhagic disease that can kill up to 90% of those it infects, has claimed more than 1 200 lives this year in the three small West African states of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, and also has a toehold in Nigeria.

Although there are no known cases outside of this epicentre, many tourists are afraid to travel anywhere on the vast continent because of concerns the disease could spread, tour operators in Africa and Asia said.

The bulk of the cancellations are from Asia, which has had its own share of health crises, but visitors from the US, Brazil and Europe have also scrapped their plans or delayed trips.

 

Also making headlines:
 

The City of Tshwane aims to roll out 171 buses by November as part of the inception phase of its bus rapid transit system, if there is demand.

Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises chairperson Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba says the processing of the Government Shareholder Management Bill will have to be sped up.

And,  research by the University of the Witwatersrand suggests that  tax on sugar-sweetened beverages may reduce obesity in 220 000 adults in South Africa
 

Also on polity:

Be sure to watch the latest political analysis and commentary by Professor Raymond Suttner.

Don’t miss Polity’s video interview with award winning investigative journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika on his memoir Nothing Left to Steal, which details government corruption and his efforts to expose it.

Remember to follow @PolityZA  on Twitter.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.