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Adeladius Makwega - DODOMA
In the previous texts, I explained how I was on a daladala heading to Mtoto Aziz Ali, to the home of the State Attorney, Phidelis Mwidunda, and how I opened the envelope containing the defense documents that had been submitted to the Dar es Salaam City Appeals Board.
This document contained many pages, with detailed explanations and several exhibits, explaining how the student Adeladius Makwega began Form One after coming from Mtoni Kijichi Primary School, being the only student who passed Standard Seven in 1990.
These two lawyers added the letter “F,” which is the student’s father’s name, and identified him as Adeladius Francis Makwega instead of the original name, which had only two names when he joined Tambaza Secondary School in 1991, namely Adeladius Makwega.
I believe they, as lawyers, had their own valid reasons for doing so, and it was indeed correct, since Makwega is not a father’s name but a family name, and thus his names became three to meet legal requirements.
Secondly, I noticed that they attached several exhibits labeled from A to F. One of these exhibits consisted of academic progress reports for each term, from Form One first term up to Form Three first term.
As they built their argument, they kept referring the Chairperson of the Appeals Board—who was the Regional Commissioner of Dar es Salaam—to these exhibits. For example, they argued about the student’s character by referring to remarks from all class teachers since Form One. They informed the parent that the student consistently had good behavior, with a grade A in conduct.
They questioned: how is it that all class teachers, for three consecutive years, continued to describe Makwega as a well-behaved student; all students of class 3R1 also described him as having good character; then suddenly, the school board claims he had bad behavior? That he is the one who tarnished Tambaza’s reputation? Does this mean the school board is overriding the authority of the class teacher?
The lawyers went further to argue that a student’s academic report is one of the official means of communication between the school and the parent every six months, and if there is any behavioral change, the school is supposed to inform the parent so they can jointly correct the student’s behavior—not expel the student (teachers and parent together).
Another argument raised by the lawyers was that all students in class 3R1 had already been punished with six strokes of the cane each due to the misconduct committed against a Form Three student from Jangwani, Fausta Nguzo—so why should another punishment be imposed?
Therefore, expelling the student Makwega amounted to giving him an additional punishment, which is unjust and an act of oppression against the student.
Furthermore, forcing this student to stay at home from October 20, 1993, until the Regional Appeals Board makes its decision would also constitute a third major punishment against him.
Therefore, Honorable Chairperson, we respectfully request before your esteemed board that the student be reinstated so that he may complete his Form Three and Form Four education without delay and have the opportunity to serve his country, Tanzania, in whatever profession he will be blessed with.
In summary, that was the defense presented before the Regional Appeals Board. From that point on, it became a routine of going every week to the City Education Officer to inquire about the hearing date—constant back-and-forth trips.
What happens next?
Wait for the next text.
Remember, this is part of the Azania and Tambaza Conflict series XXXVII.
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