Malawians returning from South Africa face uncertain future

LILONGWE, Malawi 

Ahamadi Assani has returned to his home in Malawi after fleeing growing anti-immigrant hostility in South Africa. The continent’s biggest economy, South Africa is a magnet for migrants from neighboring countries.

"I left Malawi for South Africa in search of job opportunities so that I could support my family," Assani says. "I left on 22 February 2025 and when I got there everything was fine.“

But in recent weeks, citizen-led groups have targeted undocumented foreigners, blaming them for rising unemployment and increased pressure on public services. They set an unofficial deadline of June 30 for those migrants to leave the country.

"Even if the situation normalises, there is no way I can go back there," Assani says. "We used to run away from the police, and some migrants ended up being hit by cars. I would rather die here in poverty than go back to South Africa.”

"Luckily, I was among the people who were offered free transport to return home, but now we have nothing to do here for a living. I ran away from poverty and now I have come back to it again." 

For many returnees, rebuilding a livelihood in Malawi will be a major challenge after abandoning their jobs and lives across the border.

"I have returned home with nothing and I don't know how my children and I will survive," says returnee Hawa Troko.

Troko isn’t alone. Nearly 15,000 Malawians returning from South Africa are facing the same uncertainty in a country where 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Four die in Mexico City World Cup celebrations

MEXICO CITY, Mexico 

A 19-year-old woman is among three people to have died from suffocation during World Cup celebrations in Mexico City on Tuesday.

A 48-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man also died after crowds descended on the city following the country's 2-0 victory over Ecuador, the capital's health authority said on Wednesday.

City authorities later reported that a 30-year-old man also died in an epileptic crisis.

More than one million people took to the streets, mainly around the Angel of Independence monument in downtown, to mark the country's first World Cup knockout win since 1986, the city government said.

City Mayor Clara Brugada expressed her "most sincere condolences" to the victims' families and pledged support in the coming days.

Health authorities said emergency services had treated three unconscious people at different locations around Paseo de la Reforma before transporting them to hospital.

"After performing first aid and CPR techniques on the patients, they were transferred to a hospital for specialised medical care," the city's health authority said.

Three people were confirmed to have died from suffocation and identified by their families, it added.

In a social media post after the deaths were announced, Brugada urged fans to "always celebrate with responsibility, care, and empathy".

Mexico's victory sparked wild celebrations in the Estadio Azteca and across large parts of the city, where fireworks could be seen being lit long after the final whistle.

Prior to the football match, Brugada had told fans hoping to watch the game near the Angel of Independence monument to look elsewhere due to the huge crowds already gathered there.

More than 20 million people live in Mexico City's metropolitan area - making it one of the most densely populated places on the planet.

Tuesday's win sends Mexico into the World Cup's round of 16, where they now face England who beat DR Congo 2-1 on Wednesday.

Belgium pull off World Cup’s biggest comeback win over Senegal

SEATTLE, United States 

Youri Tielemans struck a 125th-minute penalty as Belgium rallied from two goals down and defeated Senegal 3-2 after extra time in their World Cup last ⁠-32 clash in Seattle to keep alive their title hopes, which had looked dead and buried.

Senegal’s Lamine Camara slid in on Tielemans as the ball flashed across the face of goal and conceded the spot kick after a ⁠⁠video assistant referee review, with the Belgian picking out the top corner to complete an extraordinary comeback on Wednesday.

Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr had given Senegal a deserved 2-0 lead, and they looked to be cruising through to the next round before Belgium netted twice in the final four minutes through Romelu Lukaku and Tielemans to force extra time.

Belgium now face the winner of ‌‌Wednesday’s last-32 clash between cohosts United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next round in Seattle on Monday.

It was cruel on Senegal, who controlled much of the 90 minutes, and struck the woodwork twice, but could not see out the game.

They became the fourth African side to bow out in a narrow defeat in the last 32 after South Africa, Ivory Coast, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and will wonder how they managed to let this one slip.

Senegal were inches away from the lead when Ismail Jakobs’s cross from the ⁠⁠left was parried by Thibaut Courtois, but a stretching Sarr could only steer the ⁠⁠loose ball onto the post.

When the African side did break the deadlock in the 25th minute, it was no surprise. Sadio Mane’s cross was headed goal-wards by Sarr, but his effort came off the post again.

This time, the loose ball fell kindly for Diarra, and he side-footed home ⁠⁠from 7 yards.

Maxim De Cuyper forced an excellent save from Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw with a shot that looked to be heading into the top corner as Belgium trailed ⁠⁠at the break.

Belgium brought on Lukaku for the ineffective ⁠⁠Charles De Ketelaere at half-time, but were soon 2-0 down.

A stunning long pass from Moussa Niakhate was brilliantly controlled on the chest by Sarr, who held off two defenders before thundering the ball into the net in the 51st minute.

Belgium struggled to create clear-cut chances until the final five minutes, ‌‌and almost out of nowhere turned the game on its head by netting twice in three minutes.

First, Lukaku turned the ball in at the near post from Thomas Meunier’s low cross, and Leandro Trossard’s ball into the box from ‌‌deep ‌‌was headed into the net by Tielemans.

Those two had been involved in a heated exchange earlier in the match, but it was all smiles and hugs when the equaliser went in, before Tielemans was central again in the winner.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 2/7/2026

 

Kane double fires England to comeback win over DR Congo at World Cup 2026

ATLANTA, United States 

Harry Kane rescued England from a seismic World Cup shock with two late goals to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1 in Atlanta and secure a place in the last 16.

Aiming to end a 60-year wait to win a major tournament, Thomas Tuchel’s men escaped humiliation and one of England’s worst-ever World Cup exits on Wednesday thanks to their talismanic captain after Brian Cipenga’s early goal gave DR Congo an early lead.

But the Three Lions will need to improve for the daunting task of facing cohosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the last 16 on Sunday.

Already England’s all-time top goalscorer in the competition, Kane now has 13 World Cup goals and moves onto five for the tournament to remain in the star-studded battle for the Golden Boot.

Defeat ended DR Congo’s fairytale run on their return to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years.

The Leopards had never even won a point or scored a goal at the World Cup until a few weeks ago, but had one of the tournament favourites teetering on the brink of elimination.

Tuchel made two changes from the victory over Panama as Declan Rice returned in midfield, while Djed Spence came in at right-back with Reece James and Jarell Quansah both ruled out through injury.

The German coach’s decision not to select more specialist right-back cover in a 26-man squad will face more scrutiny after DR Congo took the lead down that flank.

Spence was caught under Chancel Mbemba’s cross as the ball fell for Cipenga. The Almeria winger’s shot was low and hard, but Jordan Pickford should still have kept it out at his near post.

The vast majority of the nearly 70,000 crowd decked out in England red and white were silenced, while Tuchel’s players were visibly rattled.

Jude Bellingham was shown a yellow card for a lunge and was then involved in a heated exchange with his coach during the mid-half hydration break.

The stoppage in play at least allowed Tuchel the chance to restore order.

Bellingham’s powerful header from Rice’s cross finally forced DR Congo keeper Lionel Mpasi into action.

Moments later Marcus Rashford’s powerful effort was blocked on the line by London-born Aaron Wan-Bissaka after Noni Madueke’s jinking run opened up the DR Congo defence.

Yet it could have been even worse for England at the break.

Yoane Wissa’s three goals in the group stage fired his country to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, and the Newcastle striker had a golden chance to double the DR Congo lead but hit the outside of the post from point-blank range.

At the other end, Kane was furious when he went down as he tried to round Mpasi, but the referee refused to point to the spot.

Le Harve stopper Mpasi’s inspired afternoon continued as he flew to his right to parry another bullet header from Bellingham and then denied Kane from a corner with the last action of the first half.

After a bright start to the second period, England were beginning to run out of ideas until Tuchel unloaded his offensive weapons off the bench.

Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze were sent on by Tuchel in search of an equaliser.

And it was new Barcelona-signing Gordon who provided the cross as Kane finally found a way past Mpasi with a downward header 15 minutes from time.

Gordon also got the assist for the 86th-minute winner, but Kane did the hard work as he rifled a powerful drive into the roof of the net for his 84th international goal.

Tuchel told reporters that his side had “kept believing” to secure a deserved victory.

“We have to have that mindset. If it is getting hard, don’t lose patience, don’t lose belief,” he said.

“It was incredible the kind of saves [Mpasi] had, but full credit to the mindset the [England] players showed.”

Kane said DR Congo were a tough team and singled out the “incredible” Mpasi for praise.

“You have to stay patient in these games. The last couple of games were very similar. In knockout football, the pressure and stakes are higher,” he said.

“It was probably our best game of the tournament so far. This one and the next one will be difficult games. [Next we are] away in Mexico against Mexico. We are in the part of the tournament where we have to grind out results.”

Zimbabwean parliament approves extending presidential term by two years

HARARE, Zimbabwe

Sweeping changes to Zimbabwe's constitution that will extend the presidential term by two years sailed through their final parliamentary hurdle Tuesday, now requiring only President Emmerson Mnangagwa's signature to become law.

The amendments, which also scrap direct presidential elections, have been sharply criticised by opposition figures in the country where 83-year-old Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF party holds a parliamentary majority.

The National Assembly voted 226 to 41, the speaker announced, to accept the changes proposed by the Senate when it agreed to the new legislation on June 24. The raft of changes - labelled a "constitutional coup" by critics - includes a provision that would extend the presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years.

This means that the last of Mnangagwa's constitutionally limited two terms would be extended until 2030. Another amendment gives parliament the power to appoint the president, doing away with direct presidential elections that were introduced in 1987, seven years after independence.

However, the later changes also open the way for a president to begin a fresh seven-year term when elected by parliament, lawyer and leading opposition figure Doug Coltart told our reporter.

This loophole could also allow parliament "to continually renew its own mandate without ever returning to the electorate," he said.

"It's an interpretation that we are now going to have to fight," Coltart said. Zimbabwe's opposition, weakened by years of repression and tainted elections, charges that the amendments will entrench Zanu-PF's grip on power in the resource-rich nation, which it has governed since independence in 1980.

Mnangagwa - nicknamed "The Crocodile" because of his ruthlessness - came to power in 2017 in a military-backed coup that ousted Robert Mugabe at the age of 93 and after 37 years in power.