A South African national who is stranded in the Asian country of Vietnam near China has reached out to the public via social media to help him raise funds to pay a fine for overstaying in the country before he can be allowed to leave.

Zenzele Makulula (also known as Zulu) from Mandeni in KwaZulu-Natal, was working in the country, but later lost his job and his temporary residence card (TRC) was revoked, leaving him vulnerable to arrest.

He was invited to the country to teach English, but he had a fallout with his employer over salary issues, and he was expelled. The employer then withdrew his TRC, as Vietnamese laws allow employers to keep the cards and use them to employ others.

In a video posted on TikTok and verified by his homeboys, Makukula said his biggest worry now is paying the fine for overstaying for 85 days, and he would deal with the other issues later. His deportation will become due when he hits the 90-day mark.

He said right now he requires R15,000 to pay the fine.

“I have been trying to sort this matter out, and time is no longer on my side, and I am requesting help to sort this issue and pay the fines for staying here illegally… This is my situation right now, I am pleading for help from my friends and relatives,” he said.

Makulula can be reached on +84 (0) 975 814 240 (Vietnam number) or 062 152 38 27 (WhatsApp – South Africa).