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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The Pick n Pay School Club introduced Heroes Week earlier this month, as an opportunity for young heroes to be honoured by their local community and school. The Pick n Pay Hero Week came to life at the beginning of February 2013 on four regional radio stations' breakfast shows - Kaya FM, OFM, Algoa FM and East Coast Radio. 
In a collaborative effort with DeskBags, Continental Outdoor Media has donated billboard flex faces to create durable eco-friendly school bags that double as portable desks. In February, the company donated flex faces from 100 super signs and 500 Citilites to this initiative. 
As part of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour the Pick n Pay LikeBike is taking part again this year, with SABC 3 Top Billing's Janez Vermeiren in the hot seat this time around. 
A Lego incentive with the HP Enterprise Business team of AxizWorkgroup has helped in bringing happiness to the furry friends at Midrand SPCA. 
Philips Electronics has launched "Fabric of Africa" - a collaborative campaign to drive public-private partnerships and to improve healthcare access across the continent. The main intention of the campaign is to develop meaningful partnerships with local and international stakeholders to improve healthcare delivery in the areas of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), maternal and child health, and healthcare infrastructure, delivery and clinical training. 
Rolling Inspiration, a lifestyle publication committed to improving the quality, style, satisfaction and enjoyment of the lives of the mobility impaired, has produced its Jan/Feb issue. 
In an effort to support government initiatives, Paarl Media has joined forces with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in support of the campaign, 94+ Schools Project for Madiba. 
A third of all workers in the formal‚ non-agricultural sector in South Africa are members of trade unions‚ the SA Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) said on Monday (4 March). 
The Breadtags for Wheelchairs recycling project has donated 330 wheelchairs during 2012, from the collection by over 500 boxes around South Africa. 
Roger Federer recently slipped into South Africa to celebrate the work being done through the Roger Federer Foundation's Growing to READ Early Childhood Development programme in Limpopo. Federer, on Tuesday, February 19, visited the Govhu crèche, in Thohoyandou's Govhu village. 
MWEB has partnered with the Mitchell Plain Education Forum (MPEF), to bring technology and internet connectivity to the Mitchell's Plain community. MPEF works on improving education and assisting in job creation for unemployed youth in the Western Cape. 
In line with the Post Office's 2013 stamps issue, young designer Francois Joubert was tasked with the creation of the Gift of the Givers range of stamps - celebrating a proudly South African NGO, which is hailed as the largest disaster relief group of African origin. 
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