JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s rand firmed early on Tuesday as the dollar fell after U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn quit, with investors waiting to see whether Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen offers clues to the likely pace of interest rate increases in her congressional testimony.
* At 0605 GMT, the rand traded at 13.2450 per dollar, 0.71 percent firmer from its New York close on Monday.
* Flynn resigned late on Monday under scrutiny over whether he discussed the possibility of lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia before Trump took office, hitting the dollar.
* The dollar index was down 0.18 percent on the day at 100.78, edging away from Monday’s high of 101.11, its highest level since Jan. 20.
* Locally, focus is on fourth-quarter unemployment figures due out at 0830 GMT.
* In fixed income, the yield on the benchmark government bond due in 2026 dipped 3 basis points to 8.7 percent.
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