R2.19 billion to fix roads spent on DStv, and red flags over South Africa’s driver’s licence demerit points

Chery Group South Africa has issued recalls for the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max, and Omoda C5 over safety concerns.

A total of 17,508 Tiggo 4 and 2,685 C5 models are being recalled over an issue with the vehicles’ rear axle welding.

“The campaign relates to a rear axle manufacturing issue that may affect the weld between the rear axle trailing arm and sleeve on some vehicles,” said the company.

“In extreme and rare circumstances, the weld could fail and separate, which could affect wheel control and increase the risk of an accident.”

The Tiggo 8, meanwhile, is being recalled over a problem where the front brake pipe may contact the turbocharger assembly, causing wear and potential brake fluid leakage, affecting 3,474 cars.

“This could reduce braking performance and increase stopping distances, potentially resulting in a collision, serious injury or death,” it said.

In other news, oil prices rose on Wednesday, reversing a trend established over the last few days. Brent Crude is currently trading at $92 per barrel.

The market swung as hopes for a de-escalation in the US war on Iran were undermined by concerns over attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Recent data showed little sign of fewer attacks in November, after 37 ships were attacked in October, the highest monthly total since the start of the Middle East war, according to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,” Reuters reported.

“There has been an increase in vessel attacks in the Gulf shipping lanes amidst uncertainty of the diplomatic talks.”

“With the US midterms well over and more crude flows out of the Middle East, there seems to be more bearish tones to the oil price.”

5 important things

Red flags over new system to take away driver’s licences: The Department of Transport has not provided findings that show the incoming demerit point system will lead to a reduction in road fatalities. Under AARTO, motorists can lose their licence if they accumulate 15 or more demerit points for traffic violations [TopAuto].

South Africa shoots itself in the foot: While economists are split over the impact and urgency of South Africa losing access to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the outcome is far from a surprise. The loss of AGOA is expected to impact car manufacturers [BusinessTech].

On-demand deliveries replacing the Post Office: South Africans are turning to private companies for their courier needs amid systemic operational problems at the Post Office. E-hailing company Bolt revealed that demand for its delivery service increased by 97% in the first seven months of 2026. [MyBroadband].

North West municipalities received R2.19 billion to fix roads but spent it on DStv: Municipalities in the North West province have made no progress in repairing their deteriorating road infrastructure. The Auditor-General flagged an improper use of funds, with money spent on DStv subscriptions and funeral policies [Newsday].

Mazda hasn’t ruled out a BT-50 return: The boss of Mazda South Africa said the brand is continually looking at the feasibility of bringing back the BT-50 bakkie. The previous model was discontinued in our market in 2024. [Cars.co.za].