Category: The Citizen

South African police have arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-immigrant protests that were largely peaceful but turned violent in some areas, authorities said.

Police said 108 of the 120 protests held across the country passed without incident, while 12 required intervention as isolated cases of violence and looting were reported.

Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said the arrests were linked to a range of offences, including immigration violations, public violence, harbouring undocumented migrants and robbery.

In Johannesburg’s Alexandra township, one person was shot dead during looting at informal shops known as spaza shops, which are often owned by foreign nationals.

Police also confirmed that reinforcements were deployed in five of South Africa’s nine provinces, while soldiers were sent to parts of Johannesburg, including Hillbrow, where two people were injured in a shooting.

In Durban, police opened an inquest after a foreign national reportedly died after falling from the eighth floor of a building on the eve of the protests. Authorities said he is believed to have jumped in fear during the unrest.

The demonstrations were organised to coincide with a deadline issued by an anti-immigrant movement calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country.

The protests come amid months of rising tensions, during which foreign nationals have faced attacks, including looting of businesses and destruction of property in several areas.

Tanzanians planning to import used vehicles will have to dig deeper into their pockets from today, July 1, as a raft of tax measures under the Finance Act 2026 takes effect, ushering in changes that will affect motorists, small businesses, smokers, mining investors and consumers of beauty products.

The implementation of the new law marks the beginning of the 2026/27 financial year, under a Sh62.3 trillion national budget. The reforms are aimed at broadening government revenue while maintaining incentives for selected sectors of the economy.

More than 3,000 pupils at Charambe Primary School will benefit from improved school meals and a healthier learning environment following the handover of a gas-powered kitchen by the Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam Sunset in partnership with PwC under the Jiko Safi Clean Energy Project.

The facility replaces the school’s traditional firewood cooking system, reducing exposure to smoke for pupils and kitchen staff while cutting reliance on firewood.

Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam Sunset President, Mr Tahir Othman, said the project reflects the club’s focus on practical community interventions.

‘This project is about investing in children’s health, improving their learning environment and working with partners to deliver lasting impact,’ he said.

The project also included the donation of cooking equipment, including gas cylinders and modern pots, renovation of student toilets, provision of 100 new desks, repair of 78 others, sports jerseys for pupils, and tree-planting activities around the school.

Charambe Primary School has grown from 2,030 pupils in 2004 to 3,233 pupils, with 48 teachers. The number of desks has increased from 458 to 636.

School representative Elizabeth Mganga said the improvements have eased meal provision, reduced smoke exposure and improved hygiene and classroom conditions.

Temeke Municipal Director Jomari Satura commended the initiative, saying such partnerships help improve learning environments and support sustainable development, and urged more stakeholders to invest in education infrastructure.

England’s World Cup campaign had begun promisingly with a 4-2 victory over Croatia, but two below-par performances soon raised doubts. A goalless draw against Ghana and a tense 2-0 win over Panama suggested Thomas Tuchel’s side were not quite as convincing as many had expected, particularly defensively.

In their 2-1 comeback victory over DR Congo in the round of 32 on Wednesday, those doubts began to assume significant proportions.

When Brian Cipenga fired the underdogs ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, every concern that had hovered over England’s campaign suddenly felt real.

The stadium fell into an uneasy hush. England had not trailed at any point in the tournament until then. Nor had they ever won a World Cup match after trailing at half-time.

And there they were, chasing the game against a determined Congolese side prepared to defend every blade of grass.

Every DR Congo attack carried a sense of dread. England’s defensive frailties, exposed during the group stage and compounded by injuries, were laid bare once again.

The underdogs needed just one shot on target to take the lead, while at the other end they built what appeared to be an impenetrable wall in front of goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.

Tension grew

The tension inside Atlanta Stadium grew with every missed chance. One television camera zoomed in on an England supporter, the red and white St George’s flag painted across his face, sombrely nursing a beer as if bracing for the worst.

Around him, a sea of England fans shuffled restlessly from foot to foot, unable to sit still as the clock ticked down and their team’s World Cup hopes hung by a thread.

It could easily have become worse. Yoane Wissa struck the post shortly before half-time after another dangerous surge forward and, moments later, Harry Kane’s furious appeals for a penalty were waved away. England trudged off at the break to a chorus of nervous murmurs.

Yet there were signs of life.

Following the first-half hydration break, England finally began to impose themselves. Jude Bellingham forced a superb save from Mpasi with a fine header, while Declan Rice whipped dangerous deliveries into the box. Marcus Rashford was denied by desperate goal-line defending, and another magnificent stop from Mpasi frustrated Bellingham again in stoppage time.

Still, there was no way through.

Tuchel prowled his technical area in visible frustration. At one point, he was heard bellowing at defender Djed Spence after a throw-in was played backwards. The German shuffled his pack, moving Rice to right-back and introducing fresh legs in midfielder Eberechi Eze as England searched for a breakthrough.

Eventually, Kane delivered.

His 75th-minute equaliser, a glancing header that brushed the fingertips of Mpasi on its way in, released enough tension to power a small city. It was his 83rd international goal and, for a moment, the noise inside the stadium felt almost cathartic.

Then came the winner.

Uncomfortable 90 minutes

Kane struck again in the 86th minute to drag England into the last 16 after the most uncomfortable 90 minutes of Tuchel’s tenure.

“We kept believing,” Tuchel said. “Well deserved, but we had to work a lot. We have to have that mindset: if it is getting hard, it is getting hard, but don’t lose patience and don’t lose belief.

“The energy and the team spirit is on the highest level, and the commitment from everyone. I think everyone fully understands which stage of the tournament we are at and what it really takes.”

The comeback victory was England’s first in a World Cup since they beat Cameroon in the quarter-finals in 1990, exactly 36 years to the day.

The reward is another challenge altogether.

Against DR Congo, England were asked whether they could break down a defence. Against Mexico, they may discover whether they can withstand an attack.

“Obviously, when you get to knockout football, the pressure is higher and the risk is higher. But we spoke all week about being ourselves,” Kane said. “This game and the next one are two difficult matches for different reasons. But we’re at the stage of the tournament where you have to grind out wins.”

Compounding matters is the fact that Mexico City’s famed Azteca Stadium sits more than 2,200 metres above sea level.

After battling through a suffocating afternoon of tension in Atlanta, England must now prepare for thinner air, reduced oxygen levels and a ball that travels faster than most of their players are accustomed to.

If Atlanta tested their nerves, Mexico City will test their lungs.

If you’d like, I can also tighten this further into a sharper newspaper-style match analysis while retaining all the details.

Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw said his side can put their World Cup group-stage troubles behind them when they take on Belgium in the round of ?32 on Wednesday, telling reporters that the knockout phase represents an entirely new .

Senegal lost their first two games, conceding six goals against France and Norway before a 5-0 thrashing of Iraq helped them squeak through as the eighth-best third-placed team, just above Iran on goal difference.

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, ?though, was clear about the threat Senegal posed, describing them earlier on Tuesday ?as the best third-placed squad to qualify.

Thiaw accepted Senegal had not started ?the tournament well against strong opposition, but said his players would not be fazed ?going into the clash with Belgium.

“We needed to win the game against Iraq and now we ?are qualified,” he said. “It’s a new competition that’s going to start and we are determined to win this game.

“It’s a different competition starting tomorrow and it’s not because you finish top of your group ?that you are not going to be knocked out,” Thiaw added, citing the Netherlands’ defeat ?by Morocco on penalties on Monday.

Senegal had chances to take the lead against France before they were ?blown away in a 3-1 defeat and it was ultimately mistakes that cost them in their 3-2 loss to Norway.

Thiaw, though, chalked up the results to isolated problems rather than anything deeper and said his side had worked on them before the Belgium game.

“The goals that we ?did concede, it was ?linked to a ?lot of individual errors … when you come up against France and Norway, you cannot afford to be making those mistakes,” he said.

Senegal ?will be without first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who was injured in the ?loss to ?Norway and had temporarily returned to his Saudi club Al-Ahli. He was replaced by Mory Diaw for the Iraq game.

“Edouard Mendy (went) back to his club … he’s going to get back with ?us ?tonight,” Thiaw said. “He will be with us tomorrow, even ?if he won’t be fit to play.

“We are happy to see him and we hope that he can be ?with us for the rest of the competition.”

Kylian Mbappe has been on Lionel Messi’s heels as both players break new ground in World Cup scoring, but the Frenchman is more obsessed by lifting the trophy in New York on July 19 than becoming marksman supreme.

The 27-year-old netted a double as Les ?Bleus crushed Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 on Tuesday to move one ?shy of Messi’s record 19 goals at World Cups and join him ?on top of the scoring charts in this edition with six.

“I think the goal, ?as I said, is to go as far as possible – o make it to (the final on) ?July 19th and come back here,” Mbappe, who scored his 18 goals in 18 games, told reporters.

“We’re trying to win; we’re taking it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, ?the higher you climb in the rankings – I’m not telling anyone anything new there.

“But ?I’m also convinced that Leo is going to score more goals, so I don’t focus too much on . ?I’m more focused on the opponents we might face and how close we’re getting to our goal: the final.”

Messi’s Argentina face minnows Cape Verde in the last 32 on Friday. France next take on Paraguay for a place in the quarter-finals, where they would face either ?co-hosts Canada or Morocco.

Paraguay ?took an ultra ?defensive approach against Germany to knock the four-times world champions out on penalties in the last 32 on Monday and there is little ?chance that they will go out swashbuckling against France in Philadelphia ?on Saturday.

Les ?Bleus will not take anything for granted and will do their homework, Mbappe warned.

“I think we’ll keep working between now and the Paraguay match to see what we can improve, because there ?are ?still some sequences that aren’t quite clear enough, there’s ?room for improvement,” he said.

“Still, I think it’s positive overall, and our ability to score goals means we always ?have the chance to take the lead in matches.”

Taifa Group chairman Mr Rostam Azizi has received the highest distinguished award from the Tanzania National Chamber of Commerce (TNCC) in recognition of his contribution to investment promotion, job creation and Tanzania’s economic development.

The award was presented by Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba during the 2026 Trade and Investment Conference organised by TNCC at the Johari Rotana in Dar es Salaam.

Mr Azizi was recognised for his role in promoting investment across different sectors, supporting employment creation and contributing to the expansion of social services.

Addressing participants at the conference, Dr Nchemba reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the business and investment climate through reforms in policies, legislation, regulations and service delivery systems aimed at strengthening the private sector.

“The private sector agenda is the national agenda. We cannot achieve the goals of Vision 2050 without a strong private sector working closely with the government,” he said.

He said the government would continue addressing recommendations raised by private sector stakeholders in efforts to remove barriers affecting trade and improve the competitiveness of Tanzanian products and services in regional and international markets.

Dr Nchemba noted that strengthening collaboration between the government and private sector remained important in accelerating economic growth and supporting the country’s long-term development ambitions.

Receiving the award, Mr Azizi thanked the government and TNCC for the recognition, saying it would encourage him to continue supporting national development efforts.

“I receive this award with great honour. I dedicate it to the collective efforts of the private sector and the government in building a strong and resilient economy,” he said.

He also congratulated other award recipients recognised during the event for their contribution to private sector development and improving the business environment.

Others honoured during the ceremony included Emma Kawawa, David Mwaibula, Imani Kajula, Elibariki Mmasi and Mercy Emmanuel Sila for their contributions to strengthening private sector activities and supporting the work of TNCC.

Tanzania has taken another significant step towards economic self-reliance after public institutions and companies in which the government holds shares paid a record Sh1.327 trillion in dividends and contributions to the Treasury.

The amount, received by President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the third annual Gawio Day at State House on June 30, represents a 30 percent increase from the Sh1.028 trillion collected in the previous financial year.

It’s a Friday afternoon. The clock reads 4:55 p.m. Your laptop is halfway closed, your bag is packed and mentally, you’ve already started your weekend. Then your manager walks over and says, ‘Before you log off, can you finish this tonight?’

Suddenly, your evening changes.

For many professionals, this moment has very little to do with one extra task. It becomes a question of what kind of employee you are expected to be. Do you stay because that’s what committed employees do? Or do you leave because your working day has already ended?

We recently posed this scenario on The Citizen’s Instagram page, and the responses revealed that this isn’t just about a late deadline. It opened a much bigger conversation about workplace culture, leadership, boundaries and the pressure many people feel to constantly prove their commitment.

What the responses revealed

When someone else’s planning becomes your problem

One of the strongest themes in the comments was frustration with poor planning. Many readers felt that work appearing five minutes before closing time is rarely a genuine emergency. More often, it reflects delays that happened much earlier in the process.

One reader summed it up perfectly:

‘Your poor planning can’t be my emergency. See you in the morning.’

The comment resonated because many employees have lived this experience. A deadline that could have been managed earlier quietly becomes someone else’s responsibility at the end of the day. After a while, staying late no longer feels like teamwork. It feels like carrying the consequences of someone else’s planning.

Authority doesn’t automatically create leadership

Another thread in the comments was the gap between authority and leadership.

As one reader wrote:

‘So many managers mistake authority for leadership… The sad reality is that many talented employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit bosses like these.’

Most people don’t mind working hard. They don’t even mind staying late when circumstances genuinely require it. The frustration begins when every deadline becomes urgent and every late evening is treated as proof of commitment.

Most people don’t expect every day to end exactly at five. Deadlines change, clients call, and sometimes things genuinely come up. The problem is when poor planning becomes so routine that employees are expected to absorb it without question.

Why saying ‘No’ feels risky

Not everyone agreed that leaving at five was the right decision.

One company account commented:

‘You just stay and do the job otherwise that’s an alarm for you to be self employed.’

The comment reflects something many employees quietly believe. In many workplaces, staying late has become tied to ideas of loyalty, commitment and professionalism. Leaving on time can feel like you’re sending the wrong message, even when you’ve completed everything you were expected to do.

The conversation stops being about the task itself and starts becoming about your character.

What this says about our work culture

Another reader kept it simple:

‘These results tells you everything about the tz job market.’

That one sentence probably explains why this conversation struck such a nerve.

Jobs are competitive. Opportunities can feel uncertain. For many young professionals, saying no doesn’t just feel uncomfortable. It feels risky.

People aren’t always staying late because they believe the request is reasonable. Sometimes they’re staying because they’re thinking about performance reviews, future promotions or whether saying no today will quietly affect opportunities tomorrow.

Why this feels bigger than one late deadline

Part of the answer sits outside the workplace.

Many of us were raised to respect authority without questioning it. Parents, teachers and elders were rarely challenged, and speaking up could easily be interpreted as disrespect. Those lessons don’t disappear once we enter the workplace.

So when a manager asks you to stay late, it doesn’t always land as a simple work request. It can feel like a test of attitude, discipline or respect.

That is why even reasonable boundaries can come with guilt attached. Not because the request is always unreasonable, but because many of us were never really taught how to separate respect from automatic compliance.

Navigating the 5:00 PM request

There isn’t one correct response. Sometimes staying late genuinely makes sense. Sometimes protecting your evening is the better decision. The important thing is making that decision intentionally rather than out of pressure.

If you decide to stay, keep it clear and contained:

‘I can stay for about an hour and focus on the priority items, but after that I’ll need to head home.’

If you decide to leave, still keep it professional and forward-moving:

‘I understand this is important. I’ve already committed my evening elsewhere, but I’ll make this my first priority tomorrow morning.’

Boundaries don’t need to be dramatic. Most of the time, they are just clarity in real time.

The bottom line

When that 4:55 p.m. request lands, a growing number of professionals are choosing to bid a polite but firm farewell or, as one reader simply put it:

‘Gudubaaiiii ??’

Whether you choose to pack your bag or stay behind to finish the project, the more important question is whether the decision was actually yours to make. Were you responding to a genuine business need, or were you responding to the fear of disappointing someone in authority?

Not every last-minute request is unreasonable. Sometimes projects genuinely run over, clients make unexpected demands or emergencies happen. But when urgency becomes routine rather than the exception, it is worth asking whether the problem is employee commitment or workplace culture.

Unless the building is physically on fire, the work will almost always be there tomorrow morning.

Disclaimer: This column is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical advice. While exploring these psychological concepts can provide helpful insight, it is not a replacement for professional therapy. If you are struggling with deep family conflict, burnout, or mental health challenges and want to dive deeper, please consider reaching out to a licensed therapist or mental health professional for personalized guidance.

Haika Gerson is a mental health advocate with a background in psychology and a focus on modern relational wellness.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan said Tanzania has set a target of achieving 60 percent self-sufficiency in medicines and medical supplies by 2030, directing the newly appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Grace Magembe, to fast-track its implementation.

Speaking at State House, Magogoni, in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, during the swearing in of recently appointed senior government officials, President Hassan said the appointments come at the start of a new five-year development plan and the implementation of the National Development Vision 2050.