Federal Reserve officials, in their first public comments since the U.S. central bank cut interest rates by half a percentage point, laid out on Friday the depth of the debate over the move, with one governor saying inflation was now so weak the large reduction was needed and another arguing price pressures remain so strong a smaller cut would have been better.

The post-pandemic spike in U.S. inflation eased further last month as year-over-year price increases reached a three-year low.

With the cost of goods and services experiencing a slight decline in August, the Federal Reserve may consider cutting its key interest rate soon.

The rand firmed on Wednesday ahead of an expected U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cut and South African inflation data. At 0702 GMT, the rand traded at 17.5625 against the dollar, about 0.2% firmer than its previous close.