Christmas at home as teacher jailed in China lands in SA

Tears of joy were shed at the East London Airport when Tristan-Lee Niemand, who spent 35 days in a Chinese jail for being in the country on the wrong visa, arrived home on Saturday.

Niemand, 19, said it only dawned on her that she was being jailed when she was taken to a place with high walls and stripped of her shoelaces.

"Before we got to that place, I asked what was happening and where they were taking us. But they kept on saying: 'Don’t worry'."

Niemand, of Sunrise-on-Sea near East London, left for China in early October to teach English. She was arrested on October 14, just days after arriving in the country.

On December 18, after weeks of sleepless nights and not knowing how their daughter was, her family got the good news from the department of international relations that she and six other South Africans had been released.

About 40 friends and family, including Niemand’s mother Stacey-Lee, her 10-year-old sister Laikyn and grandfather Piet Niemand, were at the airport to welcome her home.

The family, who had not spoken to her for more than a month after her arrest,  held balloons and banners while they waited anxiously for her flight to land.

Waiting for her daughter to collect her luggage seemed too long for her mother and she almost broke through security to reach her.

"I just want to hold my daughter please," Stacey-Lee cried as security held her back.

Niemand ditched her luggage and ran into her mother’s arms.

After hugs, kisses and tears from friends and family, she collected her luggage.

Later, Niemand said she suspected something was not right when an official from the school where she was teaching told her not to answer the door should police come knocking.

"I heard about the teaching opportunity through a friend who is also in China. The school organised the visa," she said.

She and other foreigners were arrested in a police raid.

"When the police knocked on my door I did not open for about 30 minutes. Eventually I let them in. They asked for my cellphone, laptop and passport.

"They took us to the police station and we were interrogated for five hours.

"Two days later they took us to a place with high walls. They took all my valuables, my shoe laces and buttons.

"When I walked into the place I realised I was in prison.

"They made us sign papers and said we would be there for a month. I asked if I could call my parents, but they refused."

She described the experience as a nightmare.

"It was terrible. They shouted at us in Chinese and expected us to follow instructions, but we did not understand what they were saying."

- HeraldLIVE