Cape Town – A South African kindergarten teacher, Nolusindiso Hleko, teaching English in Shanghai, China, has left China and is now in Germany after allegedly being assaulted by a human resources manager at the school.
Hleko recorded a video detailing her experience, explaining how the HR manager punched her during a disagreement and confiscated her phone.
“The HR manager punched me in my face during a disagreement. After he punched me and I was screaming trying to get out of his office, he grabbed my phone and said he didn’t have my phone anymore,” Hleko said in a video posted on her YouTube channel.
Hleko remembered that none of her fellow teachers came to her aid as she made her escape from the school. Fortunately, a young Chinese woman stepped in to assist by contacting the police, who promptly arrived at the scene.
“He was chasing me, and he was humming a song so that I can fall. I managed to get out of the building,… I didn’t know what to do. I found a Chinese lady and asked her to call the cops.
“The police arrived, and when we got to the kindergarten, they said they were preventing me from leaving because they wanted me to calm down so that they can call the cops,” she said.
The school claimed there was no CCTV footage of the incident, and Hleko settled for compensation due to pressure from her expiring visa.
She also mentioned receiving threats and feeling powerless.
The Department of International Relations confirmed that Hleko is safe in Germany and in contact with the South African ambassador there.
Update: I got hold of her. She’s safe. She’s no longer in China. She’s now in Germany. I’m glad to report that she’s already in contact with our Ambassador that side and has only good things to say about the support she’s received from him. Please use our embassies abroad. 🇿🇦❤️ https://t.co/1yyaEKB3PV
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) October 5, 2023
Hleko had moved to China in August the previous year, describing her experience as the “worst year abroad”, despite better income, and referred to it as a “crazy and stupid” decision, the report said.
She highlighted the stress of moving to China, including multiple Covid-19 tests and strict quarantine measures, contrasting it with her positive experiences during her six years in Busan, South Korea, where she immersed herself in the culture and people.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
