Catch up on the biggest stories this Wednesday, 7 October 2026, in our simple daily news update.
Suspected spam call was detected on a smartphone. Picture: iStock
News today includes with the local government elections less than a month away, social media, particularly X, formerly Twitter, was abuzz with the words DON’T VOTE ANC, DA & EFF.
Meanwhile, South African motorists could face an early festive season fuel price shock 60 days before Christmas. Early data now indicates a possible petrol price increase of around R4.60 per litre and a R2.60 per litre hike for diesel in November.
Furthermore, the National Opt-Out Registry has been established to give South Africans a way to avoid unwanted direct marketing calls, SMSes and other electronic communications.
Weather tomorrow: 8 October, 2026
Expect a partly cloudy and cool to warm day in South Africa on Thursday, 8 October, with a chance of drizzle in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Full weather forecast here.
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This is why DON’T VOTE ANC, DA & EFF is trending in SA
With the local government elections less than a month away, social media, particularly X, formerly Twitter, was abuzz with the words DON’T VOTE ANC, DA & EFF.
Political parties have been hot on the campaign trail, wooing voters to mark a tick next to their candidates’ names on the ballot.
Several municipalities across the country have been plagued by service delivery failures, making the 2026 local government elections a key test of which parties can convince voters they have solutions to these challenges.
CONTINUE READING: This is why DON’T VOTE ANC, DA & EFF is trending in SA
‘All the people who disappeared, Cat Matlala dealings’ – Mr M has files on Sibiya, court hears
The bail application of suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection Shadrack Sibiya took another turn on Tuesday as affidavits read in court revealed more information about Sibiya’s alleged dealings than expected.
On Wednesday, Sibiya returned to the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, where he continued with his bail application. The 59-year-old lieutenant-general is facing five charges: three counts of sexual grooming, one count of human trafficking and one count of rape.
The grooming allegations relate to a 16-year-old girl and are alleged to have taken place between July and August 2026 through electronic communications. The rape charge stems from a May 2026 incident when Sibiya allegedly sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman at a Sandton hotel.
CONTINUE READING: ‘All the people who disappeared, Cat Matlala dealings’ – Mr M has files on Sibiya, court hears
Could a R4.60 petrol shock come in November?
South African motorists could face an early festive season fuel price shock 60 days before Christmas. Early data now indicates a possible petrol price increase of around R4.60 per litre and a R2.60 per litre hike for diesel in November.
While South Africans are still reeling from this month’s vicious hike at the pump, current under-recovery figures suggest November could deliver another punishing blow. A fresh historic high could be making headlines then.
Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop said the latest data on imported international petroleum products currently indicated a petrol increase of R4.60 a litre. More than R4 of this increase was being driven by international prices, while about 50c was attributable to rand weakness.
CONTINUE READING: Could a R4.60 petrol shock come in November?
R99 for 12 months promotion? Former Showmax subs say DStv bills are running up to R1 148
Former Showmax subscribers who signed up for DStv’s R99-a-month, 12-month offer for DStv Stream say they have been left staring at bills several times higher than the price they were promised, with the problem surfacing when they tried to settle their accounts for October.
Over the past week, a stream of customers have taken to social media (mostly X) to say the promotional price has vanished from their accounts, replaced by amounts ranging from just under R400 to well over R1 000.
Duduzile (@ngubeni82) said on 3 October that she took up the R99 price lock offer for DStv Stream, but when she tried to pay, the system asked for R389. “That’s not what I signed up for and the 1 year is not up,” she wrote.
CONTINUE READING: R99 for 12 months promotion? Former Showmax subs say DStv bills are running up to R1 148
Tired of spam calls? Here’s how to block them with the new National Opt-Out Registry
“The phone rings during a meeting, at the dinner table, while you are waiting for a call from a hospital or your child’s school. You answer, and it is a sales pitch for insurance, a cellphone contract, a loan or a funeral policy. You say no. The next day a different number calls with the same.”
Those were the words of Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau at the official launch of the National Opt-Out Registry on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, reflecting the daily reality for many South Africans.
The National Opt-Out Registry has been established to give South Africans a way to avoid unwanted direct marketing calls, SMSes and other electronic communications.
CONTINUE READING: Tired of spam calls? Here’s how to block them with the new National Opt-Out Registry
