Justice minister’s alleged shopping spree, and massive drug bust

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

• Justice minister back in the spotlight: Daily Maverick and News24, who first uncovered Justice Minister Thembi Simelane’s R575,600 “loan” from VBS-fixer Gundo Wealth Solutions, have delved deeper into the story and found that the now head of South Africa’s justice system had lifestyle surged into extravagance in 2018 while she was still mayor of Polokwane. She reportedly spent 569% more than her known annual income, with the source of the funds remaining unknown. [Daily Maverick]

• Massive drug bust: Police in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have uncovered a container carrying pure cocaine, with an estimated street value of around R86.5 million, brought in on a ship via the Durban Harbour from Brazil. Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the cocaine, which was in eight bags, was found at a warehouse in Clairwood, south of Durban. [The Citizen]

• Former Didata executives push back: Jeremy Ord, co-founder of Dimension Data, along with five former executives of the tech group, are preparing to appeal last week’s court ruling that annulled the R1.4 billion sale of the Bryanston Campus, citing conspiracy by the senior executives to subvert broad BEE legislation. The executives argue that the judgment was both unjust and unfair. [Business Day]

• Public finance body woes: The Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC), established by the Constitution to advise on South Africa’s public finances, is allegedly plagued by dysfunction and governance issues largely ignored by the Presidency. While it regularly submits budget reports to Parliament and provincial legislatures, oversight of its operations remains unclear. Commissioners have allegedly instead focused on internal politics, with whistleblower complaints from staff surfacing since 2018. [News24]

• Markets: The rand fell on Monday after comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend worried traders in the BRICS bloc of emerging economies and raised questions about what his second term might mean for trade relations. On Tuesday (03 December), the rand was trading at R18.18 to the dollar, R22.94 to the pound, and R19.08 to the euro. Oil is trading at $72.00 a barrel. [Reuters]