EMOTIONAL, powerless, with a blue eye.
This is how South African creche teacher Nolusindiso Hleko, teaching English in Shanghai, China, appeared in a video detailing how her HR manager allegedly assaulted her.
The incident happened in August, but the fear of being jailed, deported and written off as a teacher kept her quiet until Thursday, 5 September.
Nolusindiso broke her silence and claimed that the HR manager punched her in the face during a disagreement.
After he pushed her down on the couch, she said she screamed and tried to take pictures and videos of the incident, but instead, he grabbed her phone.
Nolusindiso said she managed to get out of the man's office and ran down the passage of the school to get help.
Despite the presence of various women, she said: "All of them watched and did nothing. I managed to run to the stairs, but by the time I got to the stairs, he was already there. I was screaming, but he prevented me from going past him."
She said she managed to find another exit and ended up walking down the street with no shoes or socks on, her bag gone, and her phone taken.
Nolusindiso said she bumped into a Chinese lady and asked if she could call the cops, which saw them return to the school, where they found the HR manager.
She said he denied ever laying a hand on her and insisted that she had hit her eye on the couch when she asked for the release of CCTV footage to prove the incident, but the school denied it.
"The vice-principal who saw the incident also denied having witnessed anything," she added.
Those of you who know her and perhaps have contact details, please drop them in my DM. The SA Consulate in Shanghai is on standby to assist. https://t.co/9ol0sMdXJm
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) October 5, 2023
When she returned to the police station, it was revealed that her visa would be expiring in November, and she was told to forget about the incident because she had no proof.
She said she had no choice but to settle for compensation.
But now, feeling powerless in this situation and sympathetic to the many who, in her words, 'suffer under the hands of our employers, who continue to disobey the law and treat us very poorly', she had to tell her story.
It didn't take long before her video made waves on social media, grabbing the attention of the Department of International spokesperson Relations Clayson Monyela, who tracked her down and ensured she was safe.
"I'm glad to report that she's already in contact with our ambassador on that side and has only good things to say about the support she's received from him. Please use our embassies abroad," Clayson said.
