March 31 (UPI) -- South African President Jacob Zuma's purge of his cabinet prompted a backlash from his political party and a fall in the country's currency.
Zuma made sweeping cabinet changes Thursday, including the removal of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan, seen as a stable force seeking to restrain government spending and preventing Zuma's relatives and close associates from undue influence. The South African rand fell 2.8 percent against the U.S. dollar after Gordhan's removal, Bloomberg News reported, and has fallen 6.8 percent this week, the largest plunge of 140 currencies tracked by Bloomberg. South African stocks and corporate bonds also fell sharply.