Government

5 important things happening in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·21 Sep 2018

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

• President Cyril Ramaphosa will today deliver his plan to introduce a stimulus package to boost the South African economy amid a recession and increasing pressures on business and consumers. Economists and investors are hoping for Ramaphosa to bring some policy certainty to help settle markets. [EWN]

• Ajay Gupta has put on record via affidavit a denial of all allegations made by Mcebisi Jonas in the state capture commission. This includes denying that he offered Jonas a job as finance minister, and threatening to kill him if he spoke of the matter. Ajay Gupta, along with his brothers, are currently fugitives hiding out in Dubai. [Reuters]

• Following the Constutional Court ruling decriminalising marijuana use in private spaces, the SAPS says it working on a new standard operating procedure to handle cases. Until the directive is finalised – expected next week – the SAPS warned ‘stoners’ to not think they are free of the law. [Mail & Guardian]

• The office of the Public Protector is in trouble again after the auditor-general found that it had R19 million in irregular expenditure, dating back to 2006. While the spending was done under three Public Protectors, the AG took aim as current incumbent Busisiwe Mkhwebane for failing to review and monitor compliance. [IOL]

• South Africa’s rand firmed to a three-week high against the dollar on Thursday after the central bank left its benchmark repo rate unchanged and the US currency slipped to its lowest since July. On Friday the rand was trading at R14.30 to the dollar, R18.97 to the pound and R16.85 to the euro.