Johannesburg - 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.
Government bonds followed suit, but stocks tracked a global equities retreat as investors, rattled by signs the US presidential race was tightening just days before the vote, went for safe-haven assets.
The rand hit a session high of 13.3150/dollar after the court ruling, its strongest since August 18, and was trading at 13.5175 by 1615 GMT, up 0.68 percent from Tuesday's close.
The order paved way for the release of a report by South Africa's anti-graft watchdog which recommended that a commission of inquiry headed by a judge be set up within 30 days to investigate whether Zuma has provided special favours for wealthy friends, a charge he denies.
Analysts said the court ruling was an affirmation that key state institutions remained independent, amid concerns that Zuma's allies have tried to exercise undue influence on the government, including the appointment of ministers.
“It's an indication that the country still enjoys institutional strength and that's a definite plus for investors,” ETM Analytics economist Jana van Deventer said.
“The currency could strengthen further if we see more progress on this front.”
Government bonds firmed alongside the currency, with the yield for the benchmark instrument due in 2026 falling 11 basis points to 8.65 percent.
Stocks however bucked the buoyancy, with the benchmark Top-40 index closing 1.37 percent weaker at 43,835 points while the All-Share index fell 1.21 percent to 50,384 points.
Traders said investors were rethinking their long-held bets of a Nov. 8 victory for U.S. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton given signs her Republican rival Donald Trump could be closing the gap, piling pressure on global stocks.
“We're seeing safe-haven buying on the back of concerns on Donald Trump,” said a trader at Avior Capital Markets.
Trading volumes were below par, with around 236 million shares changing hands, compared with last year's daily average of 296 million, according to preliminary bourse data.
Reuters