A teacher at St Anne’s Primary School in Harare was arraigned before a magistrate on Thursday, facing charges of culpable homicide following the drowning of a three-year-old pupil in the school’s swimming pool.
Martha Karota Rice, an Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded her in custody until Friday, pending a bail application.
The court heard that Rice was supervising eight learners from her ECD A and B classes at the time of the incident.
It is alleged that at around 11:30 AM, Rice left seven of the pupils unattended while she went into the school building.
She also allegedly left the gate to the swimming pool unlocked.
In her absence, one of the unattended children, a three-year-old, wandered into the pool area and drowned.
The court heard that Rice later retrieved the child from the water and sought help from others nearby.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to her arrest.
More: The Herald
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