Tanzania, Aug. 22 -- Arusha. The Court of Appeal has set aside the death sentence imposed on former primary school discipline master Respicius Mutazangira, substituting his murder conviction with manslaughter and ordering his immediate release.

The appellate court quashed the capital sentence after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant acted with malice aforethought when punishing the pupil.

The three-judge bench subsequently reduced the offence from murder to manslaughter and sentenced Mutazangira to seven years in prison.

However, the court ordered his immediate release after taking into account the time he had spent in custody since 2018.

The decision was delivered on Thursday, ...