Magufuli praises Gov’t official filmed caning students found with phones

Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli has commended a government official captured in a now viral video caning students.

In the video, Mbeya Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila is seen thoroughly caning 14 Kiwanja Secondary School students who are forced to lie on the ground to receive strokes on their behind.

The students were alleged to have torched two dormitories in the school after the administration had confiscated their mobile phones.

“Today I spoke to Mbeya Regional Commissioner and I congratulated him for doing a good job of caning them (students), and I told him that he gave them few strokes,” said Magufuli in Songwe on Friday.

Magufuli also added that he had directed Mr. Chalamila to expel all 392 Form 5 and Form 6 students in the school, further stating that the board had also been disbanded forthwith.

“The government cannot fork out billions to build classrooms and then a student goes to burn them. We must get to a point where we stop joking around with development, these are funds contributed by poor parents so that our children can study,” he said.

“So for those students to come back, their parents must pay so that those buildings are rebuilt; and all those who were directly involved will go to jail.

The Head of State further stated that corporal punishment should be reintroduced in schools, adding that human rights activists against Mr. Chalamila’s actions should come out and rebuild the torched buildings.