SA teacher escapes abuse in China and finds refuge in Germany
A South African teacher who was allegedly abused by her employer in China has shared her traumatic experience on YouTube, hoping to raise awareness and warn others about the dangers of working abroad.
Nolusindiso Hleko, who teaches English, was working at a kindergarten school in Shanghai, China, when she had a disagreement with the preschool manager. She claims that the human resource manager, a man, punched her in the face and tried to prevent her from leaving his office.
She managed to escape and ran for help, but the school staff did not assist her. Was able to contact a woman who spoke English and called the police. However, she said that the police did not take her seriously and told her to go back to work.
Hleko uploaded a video on YouTube on Thursday, titled “My Worst Year Abroad”, in which she showed her swollen black eye and narrated her ordeal. She said that she tried to contact the South African embassy in China, but they did not respond to her calls.
Also, she said that she contacted a famous lawyer in China, Edgar, who is known for helping foreigners in trouble, but he did not help her either. She said that she felt alone and scared in China, and that she wanted to go home.
Fortunately, Hleko was able to leave China and fly to Germany, where she is now safe and receiving support from the South African embassy there. She said that she had considered moving to Germany from Korea before choosing China instead.
She thanked everyone who supported her and expressed her gratitude to the South African ambassador in Germany. Also, she urged other South Africans who want to work abroad to be careful and do their research before accepting any job offers.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) confirmed that Hleko is safe in Germany and said that they will investigate why the embassy in China did not assist her. They also encouraged South Africans travelling abroad to familiarise themselves with the embassy or consulate in their destination country.
