Business

5 things you need to know in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·3 Nov 2016

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

• Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says that president Jacob Zuma’s plan to frustrate her investigation into state capture worked, as she could not make any findings without his response. According to the 355 page report, Zuma simply refused to abide by Madonsela’s timelines, while refusing to answer questions presented to him. Madonsela said Zuma acted in bad faith on the matter.

• The ANC is once again sending very mixed signals to the public, saying that it has full confidence in president Zuma – while is members and high-profile party leaders joined a march against corruption, which was effectively against the president and his involvement in apparent state capture. ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the state capture report made no recommendation that Zuma be removed as president.

• While South Africa’s dams are suffering from the ongoing drought, some recovery is being forecast, with the department of water and sanitation predicting an extended period of recovery for the country. Experts say it will take 5 years with normal rainfall to recovery – however there is a forecast for extreme wet conditions, which is highly favoured as well.

• The EFF says it will bring a motion of no confidence in president Jacob Zuma, following the release of the state capture report. Meanwhile the DA says that president need to step down – failing that, it too will move for a motion of no confidence. Three motions of no confidence were brought before MPs previously, and all failed with the ANC’s majority blocking it. Previously, the ANC said that it would never allow other parties to dictate what it does with its leaders.

• South Africa’s rand gained as much as 2 percent against the dollar on Wednesday, reaching a 2-1/2 month high after a court ordered release of a report on alleged influence peddling by close allies of President Jacob Zuma. On Thursday, the rand was trading at R13.43 to the dollar, R16.55 to the pound and R14.91 to the euro.