Nomaqocwa Blackie went to China to look for greener pastures in 2017.
However, she died alone in a foreign land far from her loved ones.
Blackie, 29, who was known as Noma by her peers, was found dead on Monday in her flat in China’s financial hub, Shanghai, while on the same day her family had been frantically trying to call her, having failed to reach her the previous day.
It is was the norm in the Blackie family, who hail from ,Motherwell, Eastern Cape to hold a prayer meeting on Sundays at 5pm. But when Blackie’s sister, Pumza Tuse, and her mother, Nombulelo, tried to connect her via Zoom for the prayer, she could not be reached.
Tuse said Blackie’s friend and colleague, Abongile Mboto, became worried when she failed to submit her learning material video to the school where they both teach English in Shanghai.
“Since Abongile had an access code to Noma’s apartment, she gave it to the police and Covid-19 volunteers who went to her flat, and this is where the shocking discovery was made. It is yet not clear how she died as the police are still investigating,” Tuse said.
Blackie’s younger brother, Arthur Blackie, said that the family is still engaging with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) regarding the repatriation of her remains. “Our mother is traumatised and she is not coping well with the passing of Noma. She is not in a good space and the death of Noma has hit her hard.”
DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the South African consul-general in Shanghai was aware of Blackie’s death.
“The department is rendering the required consular assistance to the family.
“According to the principle of consular confidentiality and for the sake of the family’s privacy, DIRCO is not in a position to share personal details with the media,” Monyela said.
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