Category: The Citizen

Salon service providers in Tanzania have been identified as a key group with the potential to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking energy because of their close interaction with communities, positioning them as effective ambassadors for changing attitudes and behaviour.

The observation was made on Friday, June 26, 2026, by the Kidoti Foundation director, Ms Jokate Mwegelo.

The director who is also patron of the Tanzania Hairdressers Association, during the signing of a partnership agreement between Kidoti Foundation and Oryx Energies Tanzania.

The partnership aims to empower salon service providers to adopt clean energy in their businesses while promoting its use within the communities they serve.

‘Hairdressers and salon service providers occupy a unique position because they interact with hundreds of people every day, making it easier to raise awareness about the benefits of clean cooking energy than through conventional campaigns alone,” she said.

‘They engage with people from different backgrounds daily and build close relationships with their clients. This gives them a unique opportunity to change perceptions about clean cooking energy. We want them to become ambassadors of that change,’ she added.

Ms Mwegelo said expanding access to clean energy cannot be left to the government alone, but requires the active involvement of influential groups that engage directly with communities.

She said the partnership will enable salon service providers to use clean energy in their daily operations while encouraging their clients to shift away from energy sources that pose risks to health and the environment.

Speaking at the event, Oryx Energies Tanzania sales manager, Mr Shaban Fundi, said the company partnered with Kidoti Foundation after recognising the important role community influencers can play in accelerating the transition to clean energy.

He said the initiative goes beyond providing clean energy solutions by raising public awareness of the benefits of using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other modern energy technologies that protect both health and the environment.

‘For many years, Oryx Gas has implemented programmes to promote clean cooking energy among different groups. Today, we have signed a three-year agreement with Kidoti Foundation, enabling us to engage an equally important group, salon service providers,’ he said.

CCST chairperson, Ms Ntuli Mwakatobe, described the partnership as an important step towards enabling the association members to contribute to the country’s clean energy agenda.

She said hairdressers and salon owners have been seeking ways to reduce operating costs while creating safer working environments.

‘Today we have an opportunity not only to use clean energy, but also to become a voice for educating the public. We will use this opportunity to reach our clients every day,’ she said.

The use of clean cooking energy is widely recognised for reducing carbon emissions that contribute to climate change while improving public health, particularly for women, who continue to bear the greatest burden of household cooking responsibilities.

The agreement is expected to pave the way for a broader partnership that will see salon service providers become part of a nationwide network of clean energy ambassadors, using their daily interactions to promote cleaner and safer energy solutions across communities.

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella said his side would return home with their chin up ?after ending their World Cup campaign with last-gasp 3-2 victory over the United States in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Montella praised the players for showing their skills, abilities ?and character despite the mental toll of already ?being eliminated and playing in front of ?a predominantly pro-U.S. crowd.

“We can go back home with ?our chin up,” Montella said. “Football hurts, but I got ?emotional at the end of the game… Today’s match matters much more than 1,000 victories.”

Montella said Turkey had created enough ?chances throughout the tournament but had not been ?clinical enough, while stressing he would not blame individual players for missed ?opportunities.

He said his side had been unfortunate in their opening two matches, arguing that even a draw from either game could have changed their fate, but ?accepted that “football is ?not always ?fair”.

Montella said the team’s celebrations after the final whistle reflected their national pride ?and gave him confidence for the future.

Turkey ?were ?making their first World Cup appearance since 2002, and Montella said he hoped they would not have to ?wait ?another 24 years to return. “Hopefully ?we will do better, not in 24 years but earlier than that,” ?he said.

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said officials should reassess the placement of pitch-side advertising boards at ?the World Cup after attacker Julio Enciso crashed into one the Australia goal during their 0-0 draw on Thursday.

Enciso came off second best as he fought for the ball with Australia defender Alessandro ?Circati in the second half at San Francisco ?Bay Area Stadium.

Enciso got to his feet gingerly after ?contact with the board but played out the remainder of ?the game.

“I think that maybe if there was more space ?that will be good because of course there’s a lot of intensity when we are playing, and sometimes if a player gets destabilised, ?he could fall and get injured and these things can ?happen,” Alfaro told the post-match press conference.

“So, maybe we have to think ?that and reassess.”

The result left Paraguay third behind Group D winners the United States and second-placed Australia, both of whom have reached the last 32.

Paraguay must wait for other ?results in the ?group phase ?to know whether they will advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

Alfaro said ?he was very optimistic Paraguay would continue at ?the ?tournament and praised his players for how they had reacted after their 4-1 opening defeat by the United States.

“Recovering from such ?a ?hard result was really hard for us, ?and in spite of that, our team has been very solid in ?the past two games.”

The Tanzania Mainland Premier League has officially evolved into a two-horse title race, with defending champions Young Africans (Yanga) and traditional rivals Simba SC now the only remaining contenders for the 2025/26 championship, as four clubs secure places in next season’s CAF interclub competitions.

With just two rounds remaining, the league has reached its decisive stage, where the battle for the title has narrowed exclusively to the country’s two most successful clubs.

Yanga currently lead the standings with 69 points from 28 matches, while Simba sit second with 67 points from the same number of games.

The two giants have created a gap that cannot be closed by any other team, mathematically eliminating the rest of the field from title contention.

As a result, both Yanga and Simba have also secured automatic qualification to the CAF Champions League, continuing their dominance on the domestic and continental stage. Behind them, Azam FC and Singida Black Stars have confirmed their places in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Azam sit third with 58 points, while Singida Black Stars follow in fourth place with 50 points. With only two matches left, teams positioned below them cannot overtake their tallies, effectively locking in the continental slots.

The development underscores the growing divide between the league’s traditional powerhouses and the chasing pack, with Yanga and Simba once again proving their superiority in a tightly contested season.

For Yanga, the equation is straightforward. The Jangwani Street giants need just four points from their remaining fixtures to officially secure a fifth consecutive league title, which would further cement their dominance in recent years.

Their consistency has placed them in a commanding position as the season approaches its conclusion.

However, Simba remain firmly in pursuit, keeping pressure on their rivals in what continues to be one of the most intense title races in recent memory.

Although Yanga hold a slight advantage, the championship is not yet mathematically decided, Under Tanzania Premier League regulations, head-to-head records are used as the primary tiebreaker if teams finish level on points.

This factor could prove decisive in determining the ultimate champion.

Earlier in the campaign, the two sides drew 0-0 in the first meeting played at Simba’s home ground, while the return fixture ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw.

These results give Yanga a marginal edge in the direct encounter record, which may become crucial if the title race goes down to the final day.

While the battle at the top continues to attract attention, the relegation fight is also intensifying as the season reaches its climax. KMC have already been relegated, but several teams remain in danger.

Tanzania Prisons, with 26 points, Mtibwa Sugar (27), Mbeya City (28), Fountain Gate FC (29), Namungo FC (30) and Mashujaa FC (30) are all fighting to avoid dropping into the Championship Division.

Meanwhile, Coastal Union and Dodoma Jiji FC, with 33 and 34 points respectively, are not yet safe.

Both sides remain at risk of slipping into the relegation playoff zone if they fail to secure positive results in their remaining matches. As the league enters its final stretch, attention now turns to the upcoming round of fixtures scheduled for Saturday, when all 16 teams will be in action across different venues nationwide.

Yanga will host TRA United at the KMC Complex, knowing that victory would move them within touching distance of a another league crown. Simba face a tough test against Singida Black Stars, a side already assured of continental football next season.

Elsewhere, Azam FC travel to Tanga to face Coastal Union at Mkwakwani Stadium in a crucial match for both ends of the table.

Other fixtures include Dodoma Jiji against Mbeya City, Mashujaa hosting KMC, Namungo welcoming Fountain Gate FC, Pamba Jiji taking on JKT Tanzania, and Tanzania Prisons meeting Mtibwa Sugar in what promises to be another decisive and competitive round of matches across the country.

With the title race, continental qualification, and relegation battles all still active, the closing stages of the season promise high drama and intense competition.

The government has directed public officials to do everything possible to remove obstacles facing investors, particularly in the industrial sector, to ensure factories operate without interruption, warning that production stoppages result in losses and discourage investment.

The call was made on Thursday, June 25, 2026, by the Minister for Industry and Trade, Judith Kapinga.

Minister Kapinga was speaking during a visit to Mainland Group Agro Process Tanzania, a sunflower and cottonseed oil processing factory in Veyula, Dodoma City.

Accompanied by her technical team, Ms Kapinga toured the facility to assess production and operations.

She directed officials to address challenges that can be resolved immediately and refer those requiring technical expertise or intervention from other authorities to the relevant government institutions.

‘We need to build a strong private sector. A time must come when we, as government officials, accept that we should spend more time solving investors’ problems. We should not become accustomed to these challenges because that is not a good thing at all,’ she said.

Commenting on production levels, Ms Kapinga said the factory’s infrastructure appeared underutilised because output remains below capacity, largely due to shortages of raw materials.

Furthermore, she said the factory receives only between 20 and 30 percent of its sunflower seed requirements during a production season, a situation that undermines productivity and limits employment opportunities that could otherwise be created.

The factory’s director, Jiawei Chen, said the company faces persistent difficulties in sourcing raw materials, particularly sunflower seeds, forcing it to diversify into cottonseed oil production to bridge the supply gap.

Mr Chen also identified inadequate electricity supply as a major challenge, saying it has repeatedly disrupted operations and prevented the factory from reaching its full production potential, even when raw materials are available.

Speaking on the shortage of seeds, the factory’s communications director, Ms Betty Mkwasa, said the plant requires 250 tonnes of sunflower seeds per day and about 80,000 tonnes annually, but at times receives only a quarter of that amount.

“Investment in the factory exceeds $60 million and that it has created employment for more than 400 people working in day and night shifts,” she said.

Furthermore, she said, besides producing cooking oil, the company purchases crude oil from other processors for refining to improve quality, while also expanding livestock feed production using by-products generated during the refining process.

The ?2026 World Cup became the highest-scoring edition in the tournament’s history during the United States’ Group D match against Turkey on ?Thursday, with Auston Trusty’s early opener ?producing the record-breaking 173rd goal and ?eclipsing the previous mark of 172 ?set at Qatar 2022.

Four more goals were ?scored after Trusty’s opener, with Turkey snatching a last-gasp 3-2 win to lift the tournament total ?to 177 goals.

The record was broken ?in the 59th match of the 2026 World Cup.

By , ?the previous record of 172 goals was accumulated over all 64 matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 2026 ?tournament features ?104 ?matches, 40 more than the 64 played at Qatar 2022, following ?FIFA’s expansion from 32 to ?48 ?teams.

“Surpassing the previous highest of 172 goals from Qatar underscores the excitement and attacking ?prowess ?that have already made ?the 2026.

A joint agreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Government of Tanzania and the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) has reinstated four candidates, including Anthony Mtaka, who had previously been disqualified from contesting in the upcoming TOC General Election.

A total of 28 candidates have been cleared to contest various leadership positions in the election. Four candidates will vie for the presidency, three for the vice-presidency, while 21 candidates are competing for five executive committee positions.

The reinstatement of Mtaka, who also serves as the Njombe Regional Commissioner, has intensified the race for the TOC presidency. He will compete against outgoing TOC Vice-President Henry Tandau, former National Sports Council (NSC) Secretary General Leonard Thadeo, and Hassan Khairalla Tawakal from Zanzibar.

The other reinstated candidates are Rahim Kalyango and outgoing Deputy Secretary General Suleiman Mahmoud Jabir, both contesting for the vice-presidency, and Donald Massawe, who is seeking an executive committee position. The four had initially been disqualified by the election commission during the vetting process.

TOC President Gulam Rashid said the agreement between the IOC, the Government and TOC leadership was reached following prolonged uncertainty that had led to the postponement of the election several times since 2024.

“As part of the agreement, we also resolved to reinstate the four candidates who had initially been disqualified during the vetting process,” Gulam said.

Earlier, TOC Secretary General Filbert Bayi confirmed that, following the agreement, the election will now be held on July 5, 2026, at Peacock Hotel in Mnazi Mmoja, Dar es Salaam.

Bayi said 42 delegates will cast their votes in the election, comprising 39 representatives from national sports associations and three members from the TOC Athletes’ Commission.

Sweden coach Graham Potter made several changes to his line-up for Thursday’s World Cup match against Japan and was rewarded with a 1-1 draw that ?sees his side through to the knockout stage as one of best third-placed teams.

Following their 5-1 defeat by the Netherlands in their previous game, Potter replaced goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt with Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and moved captain Victor Lindelof into ?midfield.

His decision to start Anthony Elanga also paid off when the ?winger netted the equaliser.

“Everyone’s been active in the organisation of the ?team, so it didn’t feel too much of a change for me, ?although I understand when you change the goalkeeper and you move Victor into ?midfield, it can be (a big change),” Potter told a news conference.

“If you’ve got the players with you, if you’ve got support from people outside, then you’ve got a chance.”

Potter had ?to do more shuffling during the game.

An injury to centre-back Isak Hien saw ?him replaced in the first half, with Lindelof dropping into defence and Lucas Begvall coming ?the midfield.

Lindelof then succumbed to cramp late on and had to be swapped out for Carl Starfeldt.

Elanga’s equaliser ensured that the Swedes finished on four points, with the Netherlands winning Group F on seven points and Japan runners-up on ?five.

Sweden’s opponents in ?the round of ?32 will only be decided in the coming days but Potter said he was just happy they were in the ?knockout phase.

“It’s a tricky one, because you can second ?guess – until ?we know, we won’t know,” he added. “We have to probably recover the players first and make sure that physically we’re in a good place for whoever we ?play.

“If ?you’d have said to me when we first ?came that that would be the challenge we face, I would have absolutely taken it, so we’re ?looking forward to it.”

The official death toll from the twin earthquakes that devastated parts of Caracas and surrounding areas has risen to 920, according to Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly.

The government estimates that hundreds of people remain trapped or missing nearly two days after earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck approximately 160 kilometres west of the capital.

A government website established to collect reports of missing persons had registered more than 50,000 unaccounted-for individuals by midday on Friday, a figure also cited by the United Nations’ emergency relief agency.

International rescue teams and humanitarian assistance began arriving in Venezuela on Friday as emergency responders, volunteers and local residents continued efforts to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Rodriguez said that 871 international rescue personnel were operating in the country by Friday afternoon. Countries that have deployed rescue teams include Mexico, El Salvador and Spain.

The United States Geological Survey has warned that the final death toll could exceed 10,000, potentially making the disaster one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike Latin America in the past century.

Thousands of migrants have gathered at temporary processing centres and diplomatic missions across South Africa in a bid to leave the country before nationwide anti-immigrant protests planned for June 30, amid fears that the demonstrations could turn violent.

In the coastal city of Durban, thousands of Malawian migrants queued at a makeshift camp awaiting transport home, while hundreds of Zimbabweans spent the night on pavements outside their country’s consulate in Cape Town.

Many said they feared becoming targets of violence linked to a recent wave of xenophobic protests and attacks that has swept parts of South Africa.

“We are scared because you never know what people are planning to do to you. It’s not right to wait and see what will happen,” said 37-year-old Ebrahim Moosa, who was waiting with his wife in a long queue in Durban. Some of those waiting carried young children as they hoped to secure places on buses to Malawi.

South Africa has witnessed recurring anti-immigrant protests and, in some cases, deadly attacks in recent weeks, forcing many foreign nationals to flee their homes or seek refuge elsewhere.

Anti-immigrant groups have declared June 30 as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. Several cities are preparing for possible unrest, despite repeated government appeals urging citizens not to take immigration enforcement into their own hands.

“We are appealing to all those who will be marching to respect the police,” said Phumelele Makoba, acting police commissioner for KwaZulu-Natal province, which authorities expect to be among the areas most affected.

Police have pledged a large-scale deployment to maintain public order. President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that South Africa’s security forces were prepared.

March and March, one of the groups leading the protests, has stated that it is not advocating violence. However, the organisation said it would not accept responsibility for any violence that may occur on June 30.

Xenophobic violence has long been a recurring challenge in South Africa, where some citizens blame migrants, particularly those from other African countries, for crime, unemployment and pressure on public services.

President Ramaphosa has urged South Africans not to scapegoat foreigners, arguing that many of the country’s social and economic challenges stem from the legacy of apartheid.

Although South Africa has experienced years of sluggish economic growth and remains one of the world’s most unequal societies, it continues to attract migrants seeking employment opportunities because it remains Africa’s largest economy.

Mozambican national Antonio Njive, who had worked various jobs in South Africa since 2019, returned home on June 1 after his house was destroyed during violence that reportedly claimed the lives of five fellow Mozambicans.

“I left home without clothes. Everything was burned,” he said by telephone from Chibuto, Mozambique.

Njive, his wife and their six-year-old daughter were among hundreds of Mozambicans repatriated by bus. Malawi and Zimbabwe have also organised repatriation efforts, although authorities have struggled to meet growing demand.

“We are sleeping outside waiting for buses. Everyone just wants to go home,” said Amina Chiwoko, 30, outside the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town.

However, not all foreign nationals have the option of returning home.

Leanne Sefu, a 25-year-old asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo who arrived in South Africa at the age of three, said returning to her country was not an option because of the ongoing conflict there.

“The entire world knows that there’s a war in Congo, so me going back feels like going back to death,” she said.

After being attacked at the nail salon where she worked in Durban and forced to flee her home, she is now among dozens of people sheltering outside a Home Affairs office.

“What I’m hoping is that maybe the government can help us find a shelter. Since yesterday, we’ve been hearing that people are being attacked and they’re coming here,” she said while sitting on a mattress on the pavement.

“There’s no safety here.”