By: Natasha Archary
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has advised citizens to take out travel insurance as another South African teacher has reportedly dies in China.
Siphosethu Mqokozo left the country in October 2019 to work as an English teacher in China. The 30-year old was living in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province and died on 22 September.
It is reported that Siposethu died en-route to a hospital after suffering a panic attack.
Her family from Lady Free, Vaalbank in the Eastern Cape are now appealing to South Africans to assist them in raising R300 000 to repatriate her body.
DIRCO’s Clayson Monyela said it was important for South Africans travelling of living abroad to register with local embassies.
He said the department did not have the budget to repatriate South Africans from foreign countries.
However, Siphosethu’s death has raised concerns over South Africans who are living in China.
Her death brings the number of people who have died whilst working or studying there to four within the past 2-years.
In 2021 the body of engineering student Kgothatso Madunana was repatriated, after it was reported she plunged to her death from her 13th floor apartment.
Her death was ruled an accident and police did not pursue a culpable homicide inquest.
There were also suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Noma Blackie who died in China earlier this year.
Her body was discovered inside her apartment during the Covid-19 lockdown, but post-mortem results ruled the virus as cause of death.
Just last week, Lusanda Lindokuhle Sixaxeni’s family were seeking help to bring back her remains after she died in China on 12 September.
Reports suggest that Lusanda spent 4-days in her Beijing apartment before she was rushed to hospital where she died.
