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Zanzibar pupils deaths: Teacher gets bail
2006-02-14 07:48:46
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
The teacher-cum-swimming instructor at Zanzibar International Sternet Primary School, Idrissa Othman (22), was released on a 3m/- bail after being charged with negligence that resulted in the deaths of 11 Standard IV pupils last week.
However, the Ugandan teacher pleaded not guilty to the charge that was read to him before Vuga Regional Magistrate Ms Rabia Mohammed. The case will come up for mention on February 27.
Reading the charge, Zanzibar Director of Public Prosecutions Suleiman Masoud Makame said the deaths that occurred last Wednesday were a result of negligence on the part of the teacher.
’’As a matter of fact, the swimming instructor failed in his duty when he took the pupils for the swimming lesson,’’ he said.
The deaths of the children aged between nine and 14 years took place at Bubby in Unguja West District, about 10km out of Zanzibar Municipality.
Makame said the teacher was in breach of the Zanzibar Penal Decree of 1964, which criminalises negligence.
The pupils who died were Soud Nassor Soud (10), Ibrahim Jaffar Ali (10), Mbaraka Mohammed (12), Mukrim Ali Shauri (9) and Aziza Salum Abdalla (13).
The others were Ashura Suleiman (8), Rosemary Henry (10), Rahima Bakari Omar (10), Carolina Mabimbi (10) and Salum Abuu Omar (10).
The school was established in 2003 and is managed by 14 Ugandan and five Zanzibari teachers.
The headmistress, Subira Abdallah Mussa, said special prayers known as ”hitma,” would be held for the deceased on Thursday.
The school resumed its normal routine yesterday.
A number of senior government officials, including Isles’ President Amani Abeid Karume’ sent condolences to the school’s administration and families of the dead pupils.
A number of government officials say the tragedy was purely an accident.
Isles Chief Minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha and Minister for Education and Vocational Training Haroun Ali Suleiman visited the families to console them.
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