5 important things happening in South Africa today

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

• Disgraced former SARS commissioner Tom Moyane will learn today whether he will get his job back or not. The High Court is expected to rule on Moyane’s bid to overturn the president’s decision to axe him on recommendation of an interim report from the Nugent Commission, which Moyane says was a farce. [ENCA]

• EFF deputy Floyd Shivambu has dismissed reports of him benefitting from the VBS looting as a ‘goose chase’. However, the investigative team stands by its report, saying the evidence is solid – VBS was looted, poor people’s money was stolen, and Shivambu benefitted from it. [702]

• South Africa’s emergency services are facing an ambulance shortage crisis, with less than 2,000 ambulances on the road, nationally, during the season when they are most needed. Health department guidelines recommend there be one ambulance for every 10,000 people, showing we are short by over 3,700 vehicles. [Bhekisisa]

• South Africa’s credit rating hangs by a thread, with only Moody’s keeping the country above junk status. The group did not publish a ratings review in October as expected, and will only deliver a verdict after the 2019 budget in February. Most analysts believe it is a case of when, not if, the downgrade will come. [Business Day]

• South Africa’s rand weakened more than 1% on Monday, in line with falls in stocks and some emerging market currencies, amid weak data from the world’s biggest economies, concern over tension between the US and China dimmed investor appetite for riskier assets. On Tuesday the rand was at R14.37 to the dollar, R18.08 to the pound and R16.34 to the euro.