The rand was hovering under R13/$ on Tuesday morning after Monday’s 1.4% plunge. The rand was trading at R12.98/$, R14.48/€ and R16.54/£ at 7am. The rand shot to R13.06/$ from R12.79/$ at about 1.45pm on Monday after Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane — who is widely seen as close to President Jacob Zuma — called for the independence of the Reserve Bank to be weakened. Mkhwebane said the Constitution should be changed to say: "The primary object of the Reserve Bank is to promote balanced and sustainable economic growth in the Republic, while ensuring that the socioeconomic wellbeing of the citizens are protected".

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.