Two peasants, residents of Usevya village in Mlele District, Katavi Region cheated death after being attacked by a mob of irate students of Usevya Secondary School on superstitious beliefs.
Katavi Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Dhahiri Kidavashari
Katavi Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Dhahiri Kidavashari, has confirmed the incident and identified the victims as Philip Mwanjisi (44) and Aprotina Mkalala (50), who sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby health facility at the village for treatment. According to RPC, the incident occurred on April 16, this year, at around 6:45 pm when angry students armed with traditional weapons invaded the house of the duo and started attacking them with the weapons.
They were rescued, however, by police officers from a nearby station at the village who arrived in the nick of time. Usevya Secondary School is a co-education public school located at Mlele District whose A-level students are day students and O-level are boarders. According to the RPC, preliminary investigations have indicated that the students decided to attack the peasants after the death of one of their teachers, Tumsifu Philimon (22), following a short illness.
The students accused the duo of having a hand in the death of their teacher by witchcraft and decided to take action. Reports say that a few days before his death, the teacher had disciplined a girl student by caning her and the girl went into hysteria as though she was possessed by evil spirits. When news of the girls punishment reached his father, he went livid and openly threatened the teacher that he would face consequences for his actions.
Two days later the teacher fell ill and was hospitalised for two days before being discharged. After his release from hospital, the teacher decided to travel to Sumbawanga town for further treatment where he was hospitalised again for two days before he was discharged.
According to the deceased’s close friends, after being discharged he went to live with relatives at Kizitwe area and one day the deceased told them he was going out to meet with a friend at Chanji- Kisiwani area but he never returned and was not seen in public again.
The Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Jacob Mwaruanda hinted that the body of the deceased was seen floating on a river at Chanji-Kisiwani area and had already decomposed. According to RPC, police are investigating the matter and no one has hitherto been arrested.
Source Tanzania Daily News
