5 important things happening in South Africa today
·2 Aug 2017
Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:
- The Guptas say they have nothing to do with the use and spreading of the term “white monopoly capital” and completely deny using British PR firm Bell Pottinger to influence South African society with socially divisive campaigns. Speaking to the BBC, Atul Gupta said that Bell Pottinger was just one of many PR firms the family used. The firm’s former CEO said the Guptas orchestrated everything.
- Clashes between Uber drivers and metred taxi drivers continue unabated, with footage from as recent as 30 July of attack emerging. Uber has moved to hire private armed response companies to protect its drivers on high-risk routes, while the South African government moves in on the company in a bid to get Uber drivers to register and get permits like their metred taxi counterparts.
- The latest Gupta leaks show how at least three people close to public enterprises minister Lynne Brown have close ties to the Gupta family. Instead of answering questions around her links to the controversial family, Brown’s representatives passed responsibility to the Hawks. So far, the Hawks have failed to gain any momentum on the leaked emails and those implicated, despite mounting evidence of corruption.
- Nedbank has released its interim results for the half year to June 2016, reporting a slight drop in headline earnings to R5.3 billion, down 2.9% year-on-year from the first half of 2016. Nedbank said that its performance was impacted by weaker than expected economic growth in the country, while the continued negative economic outlook is expected to impact its full year performance.
- South Africa’s rand extended its losses against the dollar on Tuesday after a warning by Moody’s about political interference in the country’s economic policy reignited fears about downgrades of credit ratings. On Wednesday, the rand was trading at R13.25 to the dollar, R17.50 to the pound and R15.67 to the euro.
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