Catch up on the biggest stories of Wednesday, 3 December 2025 that you may have missed, in our simple daily news update.
In the news today, December kicks off on a sour note as fuel prices increase.
Meanwhile, women who were forcibly sterilised are sharing their stories.
Furthermore, suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi has provided an account of how he came to know tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
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December starts on a sour note as petrol prices increase

December has kicked off on a harsh note for motorists, with the petrol price increase adding pressure to already strained household budgets.
The latest fuel hike kicks in on Wednesday and is expected to affect travel costs as the festive season gets underway.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, announced adjustments to fuel prices based on current local and international factors.
CONTINUE READING: December starts on a sour note as petrol prices increase
Women speak out after being sterilised ‘without consent’

She says she feels “like half a woman” because she can never have children – a fact she has hidden from her partner for more than a decade.
The emotional toll stems from a coerced sterilisation at a government hospital, carried out because she was HIV-positive.In 2011, the woman, now in her 40s, went to a government hospital in Boksburg.
“I went as an HIV-positive patient when a doctor told me I had stage one cervical cancer,” she said. “While I was still shocked, he said since I had two dangerous diseases, I must get rid of one. He insisted removing my uterus would be wise, because then I would only deal with HIV.”
CONTINUE READING: Women speak out after being sterilised ‘without consent’
How ‘blue lights blesser’ EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi met ‘Ngamla’ Cat Matlala

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi has provided an account of how he came to know tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and became entangled in a “blue lights” controversy.
Mkhwanazi testified on Wednesday before the Madlanga commission in Pretoria, which is probing allegations of political interference, corruption, and criminal misconduct within the municipality and its law-enforcement structures.
He faces accusations of unlawfully facilitating the installation of blue lights on vehicles owned by Matlala without the necessary authorisation from the City of Ekurhuleni.
The allegations stem from two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) he signed in October 2021, establishing an unofficial relationship between the EMPD and Matlala’s companies, Cat VIP Protection Services and Medicare24 Tshwane District.
CONTINUE READING: How ‘blue lights blesser’ EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi met ‘Ngamla’ Cat Matlala
Etzebeth eye gouge verdict delayed

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will have to wait a little longer to hear his fate after appearing before a disciplinary committee on Tuesday following the red card he received at the weekend for an eye gouge.
Etzebeth was red carded by the officials in the Springboks’ Test against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday after video footage showed him making contact with the eyes of Welsh player Alex Mann in the 73-0 win by the world champions.
A scuffle broke out late in the match, following Etzebeth joining the action from the bench. According to News24, the panel that heard the Bok lock’s case on Tuesday couldn’t reach a consensus about the length of punishment that should be meted out to Etzebeth.
CONTINUE READING: Etzebeth eye gouge verdict delayed
KT Molefe’s bodyguards arrested outside court as case moves to high court

The bodyguards of murder-accused Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe were arrested outside court on Wednesday.
The two bodyguards arrived at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court without carrying the necessary documentation for their high-powered weapons or the vehicle they had travelled in.
Molefe was in court with three co-accused who face charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder and the possession of unlicenced firearms.
CONTINUE READING: KT Molefe’s bodyguards arrested outside court as case moves to high court