South Africa strikes have rand on the ropes, 5-year low in sight

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 23 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand traded within striking distance of last week's five-year low against the dollar on Thursday, signalling a rough session as workers in the mining sector, an important export earner, went on strike for higher wages.

Members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, the platinum sector's main union, downed tools at Anglo American Platinum AMSJ.J , Impala Platinum IMPJ.J and Lonmin

LMI.L , the world's top three producers of the metal.

The rand ZAR=D3 , which lost a quarter of its value last year partly due to investor concerns about strikes in Africa's biggest economy, was down 0.46 percent at 10.9250 at 0647 GMT compared with its close in New York on Wednesday.

Government bonds weakened in tandem, driving the yield for paper due in 2026 ZAR186= 6.5 basis points higher to 8.46 percent.

The instrument due in 2015 climbed 5.5 basis points to 6.32 percent.

A steady stream of negative strike-related headlines, coupled with pressure on commodity currencies in general from data pointing to slowing demand from key consumer China, could see the rand surpass last week's low of 10.9620.

This would take it to its softest level since October 2008.

"Not all is right with the world of rand," Standard Bank trader Warrick Butler said in a note to clients.

"For the first time in a week local demand outweighed international supply and this trend is likely to continue as we approach the domestic month-end next week."

(Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by Ed Cropley)

((stella.mapenzauswa@thomsonreuters.com)(+27117753161)(Reuters Messaging: stella.mapenzauswa.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: MARKETS SAFRICA/RAND