Mosebenzi Zwane’s statement was “issued in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the task team or Cabinet”.
The South African GDP will only grow by 0.6% this year, the International Monetary Fund predicts.
The finance minister targeted civil-servant jobs and increased wealth taxes in an effort to prevent a credit-rating downgrade.
South Africa’s repo rate has been raised by 50 basis points in an effort to counter the rand’s slump.
With the nation’s credit rating in terrible shape, SA’s finance minister may be forced to downgrade growth and tax forecasts in his mid-term budget.
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene insists that the rand’s fall is in line with emerging markets and only "temporary".
The very industries that should benefit from the rand’s slump are the ones being hobbled.
The currency’s 10% drop against the dollar this year is unlikely to cause inflation to spike.
South Africa has raised its benchmark rate as inflation threatens to exceed the central bank’s target.
South African policy makers may decide that the time for talking is over, as they meet to decide on the first increase in borrowing costs in a year.