Category: The Citizen

Iran left a handwritten message in their locker room at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, thanking Los Angeles for its hospitality during the World Cup and saying they depart ‘with dignity’ after a 0-0 draw with Belgium kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Los Angeles has hosted both of Iran’s Group G matches so far, with the team returning to its base in Tijuana, Mexico, between fixtures.

Iran have been based in Tijuana for the duration of the tournament, travelling into the United States for matches due to restrictions surrounding their stay in the country, while several team staff and officials have also been affected by travel limitations.

US authorities have said the squad’s travel arrangements remain under review, as discussions continue over possible easing of restrictions.

‘From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,’ the handwritten note, released by the Iranian Football Federation, read.

‘Thank you Los Angeles for your hospitality. We came with pride, competed with honour, and leave with dignity.’

The note also thanked Iranian supporters for their ‘heart, voice and soul’ and called for peace, respect and friendship among nations.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei has previously criticised the travel arrangements, saying the team has faced unusual challenges during the tournament.

Iran, who drew 2-2 with New Zealand in their opener, face Egypt in their final Group G match in Seattle.

Refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across East Africa generate an estimated $27 billion annually through economic activity, a new report has revealed.

The study by Uganda-based Amahoro Coalition, in partnership with The Development Finance Company of Uganda Group (DFCU) Bank, found that displaced communities make significant contributions to regional economies through business, agriculture, and services.

Namibia has been removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen its fight against money laundering and terrorism financing.

The decision was announced following the FATF plenary meeting held on June 19, 2026, during which the global financial crime watchdog removed Namibia and Algeria from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, while adding Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Namibia was placed on the grey list in February 2024 after FATF identified shortcomings in the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.

The listing subjected the country to heightened international scrutiny and raised concerns over its ability to prevent illicit financial flows.

The FATF said Namibia had successfully addressed strategic deficiencies identified in its financial crime prevention systems. According to the watchdog, the country strengthened risk-based supervision across both financial and non-financial sectors while improving investigations and prosecutions involving serious and complex money laundering cases.

The development follows months of reforms led by Namibian authorities, who worked to implement a comprehensive action plan agreed with FATF.

Earlier this year, the country’s Financial Intelligence Centre reported that Namibia had resolved all 13 deficiencies identified by the watchdog, paving the way for an on-site assessment and eventual removal from the list.

The grey list, formally known as the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, includes countries that have committed to addressing weaknesses in their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regimes within agreed timeframes. Countries on the list are subject to enhanced monitoring until they demonstrate sufficient progress.

Analysts say Namibia’s removal from the list is likely to boost investor confidence, improve the country’s international reputation and reduce compliance costs for financial institutions engaging in cross-border transactions.

Similar benefits have been observed in other countries that have successfully exited the grey list after implementing reforms.

The delisting is expected to support Namibia’s efforts to attract foreign investment and deepen integration with international financial markets, while reinforcing confidence in the country’s regulatory and financial systems.

Cape Verde produced another spirited performance to hold Uruguay to a 2-2 draw in their second Group H World Cup match on Sunday, as the tournament debutants matched the South American heavyweights in an entertaining encounter.

Cape Verde, who had earlier drawn 0-0 with Spain in their opening fixture, took a surprise lead in the 21st minute.

Telmo Arcanjo won a free kick after a driving run, before Kevin Pina stepped up to fire a low effort from 31 metres past the goalkeeper for his country’s first-ever goal at a World Cup finals.

Uruguay responded strongly before halftime. Maxi Araujo levelled the score with a header from a rebound before turning provider moments later, setting up Agustin Canobbio, who also headed home to give the South Americans a 2-1 lead at the break.

However, Cape Verde refused to back down and struck early in the second half. Substitute Helio Varela made an instant impact, pouncing on a loose back pass from Mathias Olivera to beat the advancing goalkeeper and slot into an empty net just two minutes after coming on.

Both sides now sit on two points in Group H, behind leaders Spain, who have four points heading into the final round of group matches.

Tanzania’s legal system has taken yet another historic leap forward as the Chief Justice, through Government Notice (GN) No. 143 of June 5, 2026 introduces Regulations which explicitly empowers primary courts to admit electronic evidence.

The move brings to an end the long-standing controversy among legal practitioners as to whether primary courts were allowed to admit electronic evidence.

The situation before

To grasp the magnitude of this change, one must look at Tanzania’s judicial structure. Established under the Magistrates’ Courts Act (Cap. 11), primary courts sit at the foundational base of the judiciary. Operating within district wards, they are the most accessible courts for ordinary citizens, mostly handling civil cases and selected criminal matters.

While higher courts within the structure had been comfortably admitting electronic evidence, primary courts remained legally blocked. The 1964 rules of evidence were not only outdated but recently sparked a legal controversy within the legal fraternity as to whether electronic evidence was admissible at the primary courts.

Even higher courts were drawn into the controversy. While the High Court (Shinyanga Registry) reasoned in Hussein Haji Miraji vs Isack Elias Kiganga that the Electronic Transactions Act applied independently and since no provision excludes primary courts, then electronic evidence could be admitted at the primary courts under the broad umbrella of ‘documentary evidence’.

The reasoning was, however, short-lived as the Court of Appeal in the case of Hussein Amin Teja vs Frida Fredrick Mchauru categorically ruled that Electronic Transactions Act was not applicable in primary courts.

The apex court enunciated broadly ‘rules of evidence in primary courts do not permit admission of electronic evidence’.

Effectively, flickering hopes of seeing admission of electronic evidence in Primary courts suffered an untimely demise.

A new dawn

Thanks to the newly published Magistrates’ Courts (Rules of Evidence in Primary Courts) (Amendment) Regulations, electronic evidence in primary courts is now a reality placed through Regulation 8A into the 1964 framework. Regulation 8A(1) states: ‘In any proceedings before a primary court, electronic evidence shall be admissible.’

But how will the primary courts handle, verify and weigh electronic evidence, which could sometimes be complex in nature? The answer lies in Regulation 8A(2), which dictates that the provisions of the Electronic Transactions Act (Cap. 442) shall now apply to the admissibility of electronic evidence at primary courts.

This integration ensures that, subject to jurisdiction, a vitenge retailer at Twabagondozi Ward in Kibondo District, for instance, may now rely on WhatsApp text exchanges at the local primary court to claim unpaid dues from his buyers.

Electronic evidence: Admission vs weight

Tying the lowest courts to the Electronic Transactions Act may sound technical, but in its decision in Republic vs Abdallah Abubakar Mwita and Others the High Court (Corruption and Economic Crimes Division-Dar es Salaam) emphasised that courts should not be overly rigid during the initial admission stage.

The court stated that threshold requires only basic foundational testimony from a witness explaining how the digital item was captured or retrieved.

Primary court magistrates are thus guided to separate the simple act of receiving evidence from the deeper act of evaluating its truth.

Once a basic, trustworthy foundation is laid, the electronic evidence may be admitted. Only later, during the final evaluation of the entire evidence, the magistrate will thoroughly weigh on authenticity and integrity of the electronic evidence and then issue a judgment.

Looming challenges ahead

While the legal fraternity celebrates this milestone, operationalising the new regulations across Tanzania’s vast geographic landscape may have possible encounters, including:

Lack of readily-available infrastructure: Most primary courtrooms may be held back by the lack of viewing screens or desktops for some of the digital evidence.

As a result, magistrates may be forced to use personal laptops to play back video or audio files brought to them via unverified flash drives or other inter-devices data transfers.

In a way, this may expose magistrates’ workstations to potential cyber risks.

Storage deficits: Reviewing electronic data requires steady and secure servers. Primary courts lack secure digital storage for large files, such as CCTV footage or lengthy WhatsApp threads, they could end up being deleted, damaged and irrecoverable.

Technical expertise: Verifying whether a screenshot has been digitally manipulated requires technical training, which magistrates in lower courts lack. Moreover, when evidence integrity is disputed, the geographic location and scarcity of independent expert witnesses may make assisting remote primary courts difficult.

A promising future

The amendment brought by GN No. 143 of 2026 is a massive victory for access to timely and fair justice.

It ensures that an ordinary Tanzanian does not lose a case simply because their truth is locked inside a smartphone.

However, for this amendment to achieve full potential, the Judiciary must urgently shift its focus towards upgrading courtrooms infrastructure and technical capacity to further simplify tendering of electronic evidence in primary courts.

Tanzania is seeking to attract pharmaceutical manufacturers and position itself as a regional production hub as a government delegation participates in CPHI China 2026 in Shanghai.

The delegation from Tanzania’s Pharmaceutical Investment Acceleration Taskforce (PIAT) is attending the three-day pharmaceutical trade fair from June 16 to 18, targeting global drug manufacturers, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) producers and contract manufacturers.

Led by Deputy Permanent Secretary for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices in the Ministry of Health, Emmanuel Tayari, the delegation is promoting investment opportunities in pharmaceutical manufacturing for domestic and regional markets.

Tanzania is using the forum to showcase reforms aimed at improving the investment climate in the sector, including regulatory changes, investment incentives, support for local procurement and the development of dedicated pharmaceutical industrial zones.

Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa said the government was positioning Tanzania to become a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in Africa.

‘Tanzania is ready to become a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in Africa,’ he said.

Government projections show domestic demand for medicines is expected to increase from about 131 million packs in the 2024/25 financial year to more than 600 million packs by 2039/40.

Officials say the expected increase will be supported partly by the planned expansion of health insurance coverage.

The government is also promoting Tanzania’s regulatory framework, noting that registration timelines for locally manufactured products have been reduced to 60 days.

Tanzania has identified pharmaceutical industrial sites in Mloganzila and Kibaha and committed $10 million towards a shared quality-control and bioequivalence laboratory to support local production.

The government is seeking investment in active pharmaceutical ingredients, vaccines, biological products, injectable medicines and essential medicines intended for regional markets.

Tanzania’s membership in the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community provides access to a combined market of more than 780 million people.

Tanzania’s trade surplus with neighbouring countries has remained broadly supported by mineral exports, particularly gold, even as overall performance shows regional fluctuations, according to the latest Bank of Tanzania data.

The Consolidated Zonal Economic Performance Report shows that Tanzania’s surplus stood at Sh1.55 trillion in the quarter ending March 2025, reflecting continued cross-border trade activity shaped by both rising imports and export gains in key sectors.

Despite a 4.5 per cent contraction in the surplus, gold exports from the Lake Zone continued to play a central role in sustaining Tanzania’s trade position with neighbouring countries.

The zone accounted for the largest share of the country’s cross-border surplus, driven by shipments of unrefined gold alongside cement and food products.

The report indicates that while some regions faced pressure from rising imports, particularly agricultural inputs, mining exports helped offset weaker performance elsewhere, maintaining an overall positive trade balance.

The Northern Zone also recorded an improved surplus, supported by a decline in imports of iron ore, steel, pharmaceutical products and plastic articles from neighbouring markets.

However, the Southern Highlands saw a widening deficit, driven by increased imports of maize seeds and fertilisers and lower cement exports, highlighting uneven regional trade dynamics.

Economists say the data points to a continuing pattern in which gold exports remain a stabilising force in Tanzania’s regional trade, cushioning the impact of seasonal agricultural fluctuations and import-driven pressures in other zones.

University of Dodoma economics lecturer Dr Lutengano Mwinuka said agricultural trade continues to be influenced by seasonal production cycles, affecting consistency in export flows across the region.

Independent economic analyst Mr Oscar Mkude said Tanzania’s trade performance reflects a structure still dependent on a few key sectors, with mining-particularly gold-providing critical support.

He said broader diversification would be needed to reduce exposure to seasonal shocks in agriculture and construction-related demand, which often affect import and export balances.

Agriculture remains a major contributor to regional trade but is still dependent on rainfall patterns, while manufacturing capacity is gradually expanding.

The ACT Wazalendo youth wing has rejected claims that Zanzibari youth are lazy, saying unemployment in the Isles is driven by weak policy frameworks rather than lack of effort.

The remarks come amid debate in the Zanzibar House of Representatives on employment, where some lawmakers have described local youth as idle.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, July 22, 2026, ACT Wazalendo youth wing vice chairperson, Mr Nassor Ahmed Marhun, said unemployment remains a serious challenge that requires strong policy direction and effective leadership.

He said young people in Zanzibar have demonstrated capability in education, sports, fishing, agriculture, technology, and innovation, despite operating in constrained environments and weak policy support systems.

Mr Marhun said the government has a responsibility to create enabling policies and education systems that expand job opportunities, rather than blaming young people.

‘Such statements not only disrespect young people but also reflect a failure to understand the real challenges they face and to provide solutions,’ he said.

He urged the government, if serious about addressing youth unemployment, to prioritise four key interventions.

These include providing an update on the pledge to create 350,000 jobs, including how many have been realised and progress made so far.

He also called for an end to remarks that ridicule or blame young people for unemployment, saying such rhetoric undermines their dignity.

Mr Marhun further urged the introduction of concrete measures to promote decent employment that respects labour rights and human dignity.

In addition, he said young people must be actively involved in policy formulation and implementation, rather than being sidelined and blamed for systemic shortcomings.

He stressed that Zanzibar’s youth are not lazy but are hardworking, innovative, and patriotic, with the potential to drive national development if given fair opportunities and enabling conditions.

Commenting on remarks by Deputy Minister for Youth, Employment and Empowerment Hassan Khamis Hafidh, who said hotel jobs are being taken by foreigners, Minister of State in the Second Vice President’s Office responsible for Policy, Coordination and the House of Representatives, Hamza Hassan Juma, said the statement was accurate and aimed at encouraging Zanzibaris to take up available opportunities.

‘Our youth should stop loitering in idle groups and instead apply for available jobs. A company recently advertised 150 driving jobs, but where are our young people? Indeed, they should not remain idle,’ he said.

He urged young people to actively apply for jobs and pursue further education to bridge skills gaps and improve competitiveness in the labour market.

Residents of Namtumbo District in Ruvuma Region have described how entrepreneurship training and related support under the JUA Project – Building Capacity and Employment – has enabled them to access jobs and start businesses, improving their livelihoods.

The project is implemented by Cooperative Paesi Emergenti (COPE) and targets 5,720 beneficiaries, including 400 households, 60 companies, four public institutions and two training institutions, with the aim of stimulating economic growth in Ruvuma Region and enabling citizens to access decent and fairly paid employment.

The project is implemented by COPE and funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

Speaking to The Citizen on Friday, June 19, 2026, one of the beneficiaries, university graduate Jemsi Mwingira, said the training enabled him and other youths to establish a business after securing a Sh19.7 million loan from the council during the 2021/22 financial year to purchase a sunflower-processing machine.

He said the initiative later enabled them to expand the project with an additional sunflower-processing machine worth Sh33 million, creating more employment opportunities for other young people.

‘Revenue from the project has enabled group members to build houses, access opportunities from private organisations, and has also helped us sell our products beyond the country,’ he said.

COPE JUA Project Manager Eleonora Bolliger said the programme targets youths, women and persons with disabilities in Namtumbo District, Songea Municipality and Songea Rural District.

She said it promotes entrepreneurship skills, employment opportunities and access to education aligned with labour market demands.

Namtumbo District Commissioner, represented by District Administrative Secretary, Mr Fransic Mgoloko, said COPE has more than 20 years of experience working in Tanzania and has been implementing the project in Ruvuma Region for the past 36 months.

He said the JUA Project empowers citizens through skills training, business education, innovation, and life skills to enable them to secure employment or become self-employed.

‘Genuine development is achieved by investing in people through skills and economic opportunities,’ he said, urging youths, women and persons with disabilities to take advantage of such initiatives whenever they arise.

As Tanzania remains free of Ebola cases, Africa has mobilized nearly Sh2.39 trillion in pledges to combat the rapidly expanding Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, which has killed 204 people and infected 894 others in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda within a month of being declared a continental public health emergency.

Amid growing regional concern and intensified continental efforts to contain the outbreak, Tanzania has stepped up surveillance and preparedness measures to prevent the virus from crossing its borders. Screening and surveillance at border posts, airports and seaports have been intensified, alongside the issuance of guidelines to healthcare professionals and the public.

Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa said that since the outbreak was announced, authorities have investigated 64 alerts reported from 21 regions. Of these, 11 suspected cases met the criteria for further assessment, and all tested negative for Ebola.

According to the latest one-month review by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), less than Sh234 billion of the pledged resources has so far reached affected countries and partners, despite an immediate response plan requiring approximately Sh1.35 trillion over the next six months.

The Africa CDC report identified six major challenges that will determine whether the outbreak can be brought under control.

The first is the absence of a licensed vaccine or therapeutic treatment specifically approved for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, leaving health authorities reliant on traditional public health measures such as surveillance, isolation and infection prevention.

Another major challenge is insecurity in eastern DRC, where attacks on health facilities and armed conflict have disrupted response activities and forced temporary closures.

Additional concerns include infections among healthcare workers, persistent weaknesses in contact tracing, ongoing cross-border population movements and delays in the disbursement of pledged financial resources.

The report warned that the response risks falling behind unless surveillance systems improve significantly, noting that ‘the response cannot win while most contacts remain outside the surveillance system.’

The outbreak has affected 31 health zones in the DRC and one district in Uganda, with the eastern Congolese province of Ituri accounting for 91 percent of all cases and 78 percent of deaths, making it the epicentre of the crisis.

Health officials reported 38 new confirmed cases during the latest reporting period, underscoring concerns that transmission remains active despite intensified interventions.

The outbreak prompted Africa CDC to declare a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) on May 18, days after the disease was confirmed in the DRC and Uganda.

The report highlighted significant achievements during the first month of the response, particularly in surveillance and laboratory capacity.

More than 27,000 diagnostic tests are currently in the pipeline, while 21,600 rapid diagnostic tests have already been delivered.

Diagnostic supplies have been distributed to the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi, while six laboratories have been decentralised to improve access to testing.

According to the report, these measures have increased the proportion of samples processed within 24 hours from 23.8 percent to 100 percent, helping to speed up diagnosis and patient isolation.

The response has also been strengthened through the expansion of digital surveillance systems, including the rollout of DHIS-2 tracking systems in affected areas to improve case monitoring and screening at border points.

With cases continuing to rise and transmission chains still active, the report says the success of the next phase of the response will depend on how quickly resources are disbursed, contacts are traced and frontline operations are strengthened