Tristan-Lee Niemand, 6 others, set to return to SA
Nineteen-year-old Tristan-Lee
Niemand, who has been behind bars since
mid-November, will be returning home soon
along with 14 other South Africans detained
in China.
Seven South African’s, including Niemand, will be deported in the next two days, while the other eight will be released before Christmas.
Niemand's mother Stacey-Lee reached out to authorities to help with the release of her daughter.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation's Ndivhuwo Mabaya says the detainees have completed their time and are allowed to return home.
"All of them is for visa violation. They went to China with the wrong visa, they went with a student visa and were working there. Their detention period has ended, the South African Working mission in China was there yesterday to facilitate their release. We will work with the schools that they were working at to co-ordinate their transport and they will return in the next one or two days.”
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Mabaya says another eight South Africans who were arrested in Zhejiang Province will be deported on 23 December and arrangements for their travel will be coordinated as soon as they are released.
Mabaya has appealed to South Africans who travel to China and other countries to ensure they have the correct visas and required travel documents.
"But we send a caution again: Make sure that you travel with the correct papers, make sure that you got the correct visa's and understand the rules and regulation of the country that you are going to.
“South African diplomats in China will continue to liaise with the schools and local authorities to ensure that all arrangements for their travel are finalized and they are on their way home as soon as possible.”