Share

Rand under pressure as strike turns violent

Johannesburg - The rand held largely steady against the dollar on Tuesday, but could pull away from its recent 2014 highs as investors fret over reports of violence flaring up at strike-hit mines.

Four miners have been killed in clashes since the weekend, as tensions mount over a four-month strike for higher wages which has paralysed output at the world's largest platinum producers.

At 08:39 GMT, the rand was at R10.3600 to the dollar, barely changed from Monday's close at R10.3610.

In fixed income, government bonds were also little changed from overnight closing levels, with the yields for the 2026 and 2015 issues each adding a basis point to 8.175% and 6.595% respectively.

The rand has gradually drifted away from last week's high of R10.3125, the strongest it has been so far this year, as rising tensions in the Ukraine and violent domestic strikes weigh on investor sentiment.

Police said they had deployed additional manpower to the platinum belt to provide security for thousands of striking miners who expected to start returning to work in defiance of their union as the prolonged work boycott hits their livelihoods.

Mining data due out at 09:30 GMT will give an indication of the impact of the strike and how this might alter GDP growth.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.80
+1.1%
Rand - Pound
23.50
+1.3%
Rand - Euro
20.11
+1.4%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.29
+0.9%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+2.5%
Platinum
923.70
-0.2%
Palladium
960.00
-3.1%
Gold
2,339.33
+0.3%
Silver
27.21
-0.8%
Brent Crude
89.01
+1.1%
Top 40
69,358
+1.3%
All Share
75,371
+1.4%
Resource 10
62,363
+0.4%
Industrial 25
103,903
+1.3%
Financial 15
16,161
+2.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders