There has been an outcry in Tanzania after a teenager was allegedly beaten to death by a teacher who accused him of stealing, AFP news agency reports. 

Sperius Eradius, 13, died on Monday a few days after being punished for allegedly taking a teacher's handbag, AFP adds.

In protest, his family are refusing to bury the child until the teacher is suspended.

The country's health ministry has also condemned the incident, saying it violated the country's Children's Act, which seeks to protect every child, Tanzania's Guardian newspaper reports.

Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said that an independent pathologist has been sent to Bukoba, north-west Tanzania, where the pupil died, to investigate what happened, the Citizen newspaper reports.

The Tanzania Media Women's Association is quoted by AFP as describing the incident as a "cruel and inhumane act" and called for "beatings and murders" to stop.

Tanzanian law allows for corporal punishment but says that it should be done in a "reasonable" manner and focused on the hands and buttocks, AFP reports.