Of course, the big news over the past few days has been Pravin Gordhan's budget speech, which has been dissected and analysed, as usual. Not least of these analyses is that by Nedbank Private Wealth, which provided its
observations on the 2013-14 Budget Speech.
Gordhan's budget, as usual, was somewhat of a balancing act, but what taxpayers everywhere would like to see is action, not just words, on corruption, mismanagement and waste. After all, we all realise we have to pay taxes, but we want to see our tax monies being used where it matters - and properly, across the board.
Our planet is our only home, so we'd better do better in looking after it. One way of doing so is through protecting and nurturing biodiversity, which, says minister of water and environmental affairs, Edna Molewa,
contributes to economy - she says the benefits derived from biodiversity or ecosystem services are estimated at R73bn, contributing to 7% of South Africa's GDP per annum.
We've heard it all before... this plan and that plan to create jobs - or "job opportunities" - and this time it's the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government that says it will
assist in creating 11m jobs by 2030.
Job creation is absolutely vital for the future of this country; some fear the levels of frustration and despair among the unemployed could rise to such levels as to lead to civil unrest. Hence, any plan to create jobs is to be welcomed... but how many have there been, and what successes have they achieved? Governments - provincial and national, need to be wary of over-promising and under-delivering.
Is it the end of the land line? Mitchell Barker says that landline users in South Africa are cutting the cord.
Finally, our not so frugal, but fast and fancy motoring editor Henrie Geyser reckons that the new Ford Fiesta is just that...
frugal, fast, fancy.
Rod Baker: Content Director
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ROME: After several years of negotiations, countries have taken a major step against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), one of the greatest threats to sustainable fisheries and related livelihoods. 
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is a division of Transnet, tasked with controlling and managing all commercial ports on South Africa's coastline. It is the largest port authority in southern Africa in terms of cargo volumes and is responsible for providing port infrastructure and marine services as well as ensuring the safe, effective and efficient economic functioning of the national ports system. 
Coal of Africa said on Thursday (28 February) that it had been advised by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) of a derailment of 10 wagons on the Maputo (Matola) rail corridor last week that led to all rail traffic between Komatipoort and Maputo being suspended. 
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