South Africa's chief prosecutor has dropped fraud charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
Mr Gordhan had described the allegations as without merit and politically motivated.
News of the charges earlier this month rattled the financial markets and the South African rand fell more than 3%.
The finance minister was appointed last year after President Jacob Zuma's preferred candidate lasted just a few days in the job.
He is not seen as a close ally of the president and has warned against corruption becoming rampant in South Africa.
The fraud charges related to alleged severance payments made to two senior executives at the South African Revenue Service (Sars), when it was under Mr Gordhan's leadership 10 years ago.
After reviewing the charges, the head of South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority, Shaun Abrahams, said there had been no criminal intent.
At a news conference on Monday, he rejected criticism that the original charges had been politically motivated.
He said that everyone was treated equally before the law, and that laying charges and reviewing them was normal practice, IOL news website quotes him as saying.
