South African Central Bank mandated by law to protect value of currency – Governor

South Africa’s Central Bank is mandated by the constitution to protect the value of the currency.

Gov. Lesetja Kganyago of South Africa’s Central Bank said this on Tuesday in the wake of a proposal by the head of anti-graft watchdog to switch the target of its monetary policy.

Kganyago told a parliamentary committee that the bank’s mandate was to focus on inflation and protect the value of the currency in the interest of achieving balanced economic growth.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane set off a political row and sparked a selling frenzy in the rand currency in June with her proposal to switch the target of the bank’s monetary policy from inflation and currency stability to economic growth.