Daily podcast – August 11, 2014

11th August 2014 By: Schalk Burger - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Daily podcast – August 11, 2014

Testing for Ebola
Photo by: Reuters

August 11, 2014.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Schalk Burger.
Making headlines:

Sanral announces that there won’t be e-tolled highways in Cape Town.

The World Health Organisation declares Ebola an international health emergency.

And, the Democratic Alliance welcomes reports that the NPA has recommended inquiries be conducted into three senior officials' fitness to hold office.


The South African National Roads Agency Limited (or Sanral) said that Cape Town wouldn’t have electronically tolled highways like in Gauteng.

Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona said in a statement that Cape Town would be appointing a concessionaire on a Build, Operate and Transfer basis, whereas in Gauteng Sanral borrowed money in order to build the road.

This means the concessionaire will design, finance, operate and maintain the road, returning it to the state in a specified condition at the concession period.

He added that conventional toll plazas would be built along the N1 and N2, with the electronic or automated method of payment being a possible future consideration depending on traffic volumes, Mona said.


The World Health Organisation (or WHO) said the world's worst outbreak of Ebola that has killed nearly 1 000 people in West Africa represents an international health emergency and could continue spreading for months.

Nigeria became the third African nation, after Sierra Leone and Liberia, to declare a national emergency on Friday as the region's healthcare systems struggle to cope with the advance of one of the deadliest diseases known to man.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan told reporters that the outbreak was moving faster than they could control it.

The UN agency said all states where Ebola had passed from one person to another should declare a national emergency. However, while it called the outbreak "particularly serious", the WHO said there should be no general ban on international travel or trade.


The Democratic Alliance has welcomed reports that the National Prosecuting Authority (or NPA) has recommended inquiries be conducted into three senior officials' fitness to hold office.

DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said the DA urged President [Jacob] Zuma to apply his mind to these recommendations as a matter of urgency and not to dither as he has done with the announcement of the terms of reference into the inquiry of the National Director Public Prosecutions, Mxolisi Nxasana.

Breytenbach called on Zuma to hastily establish the boards of inquiry and announce the terms of reference without delay.

The NPA confirmed on Sunday that charges had been laid against former acting head Nomgcobo Jiba, director of public prosecutions for north Gauteng Sibongile Mzinyathi and head of the NPA's specialised commercial crimes unit Lawrence Mrwebi.

Also making headlines:

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will testify at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the Marikana shootings in Pretoria on Monday.

Heavy shelling resumed in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday after three days of relative calm following more than a month of street fighting between rival armed factions battling for control of the city's airport.

And, the International Monetary Fund will help Ghana address its current economic challenges.

Also on Polity:

The latest legal brief by Webber Wentzel details tax breaks for small enterprises, while Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr offers a comprehensive guide on labour legislation changes to all South African businesses.

Follow us on Twitter for updates on breaking news.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.