Joburg left out to dry, and Justice Minister criminally charged

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:

• Joburg left out to dry: The situation is becoming increasingly dire for residents in northern Johannesburg, who are once again without water, with no clear indication of when it will be restored. Although Johannesburg Water had scheduled maintenance for Tuesday morning, an unexpected pipe burst over the weekend left many unprepared, as they had not yet stored water. The utility has not provided a timeline for when the damaged pipe will be replaced or when the water supply will be restored. [eNCA]

• ActionSA takes on Justice Minister: ActionSA has filed criminal charges against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane over her controversial R575,000 loan from the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. Simelane, while serving as Polokwane mayor, ignored a National Treasury notice and invested hundreds of millions of municipal funds into VBS Bank, raising serious concerns about her conduct. [EWN]

• Legal blow for Mkhwebane: The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has struck from the roll, with costs, impeached former Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s application to appeal a High Court ruling. The initial ruling rejected her attempt to challenge the decisions made by the Section 194 inquiry, which ultimately led to her removal from office. [SABC]

• Gold is rocking: Gold was the top performer on the JSE over the two years leading to June 2024, driven by a weaker rand and a rising gold price. Gold shares surged by 87% during this period, while precious metals and minerals declined by 33%, according to PwC’s Mine 2024 report released on Tuesday. [Moneyweb]

• Markets: The South African rand weakened against a stronger dollar on Tuesday as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell dampened expectations for significant future interest rate cuts. On Wednesday (October), the rand was trading at R17.37 to the dollar, R23.06 to the pound, and R19.21 to the euro. Oil is trading at $74.77 a barrel. [Reuters]