* S.Africa’s currency and bonds hit by sentiment
* Thin volumes exaggerate rand fall
JOHANNESBURG Aug 27 (Reuters) – The rand fell to a one month low against the dollar on Monday weighed by labour problems in South Africa’s platinum sector that soured investor sentiment.
However, the currency managed to recover some of those losses towards the end of the local session as the euro, the money of its biggest trading region, picked up.
Labour strife hit Lonmin’s Marikana mine again on Monday as workers prevented colleagues from going into mine shafts and threatened violence. Marikana is the site of violent clashes in which 44 people died this month.
The rand hit a month low of 8.4315 in thin volumes as Britain stayed out during a market holiday, exaggerating the currency’s weakness.
“The UK bank holiday took away this market. A lot of our foreign investors were sitting out and the volumes were very very low,” said Travis Robson of PSG Securities.
Reuters data showed volumes were at their lowest in over two months.
By 1630 GMT, the rand was at 8.4150/dollar, off a 8.40 close in New York on Friday.
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