A tragic incident occurred at St. Anne’s Primary School in Mabelreign, Harare, where a 3-year-old child drowned after reportedly being left unattended by an Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher.
Martha Karota Rice appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa facing charges of culpable homicide. She was not required to enter a plea, and the case has been postponed to June 6, 2025.
According to the State, represented by prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the incident took place on June 3, 2024, at the school premises located at Number 03 Waverly Close, Sentosa.
Court documents allege that Rice, who was supervising an ECD class of eight children, left seven of them unsupervised at approximately 11:30 a.m. as she went inside the school building. During that time, she also allegedly failed to secure the gate to the school’s swimming pool.
As a result of this lapse, one of the children is believed to have accessed the swimming area unsupervised and tragically drowned.
The case has sparked concern over safety measures and supervision standards at schools, particularly in facilities that cater to young children.
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