South African President Jacob Zuma's decision to call Pravin Gordhan back home from an investor roadshow in London marks a major setback for the economy, the Democratic Alliance opposition party said in a statement on Monday.
The presidency earlier said Zuma had requested Gordhan and his deputy return immediately, without giving a reason. The rand fell by as much as 1.7 percent against the U.S. dollar, bonds tumbled and banking shares slid more than 2 percent on the news.