No, no, no, Tekkie Town
Supervisor suspended after saleswoman forced to stand in window with ‘naughty corner’ note on chest
The humiliation of dozens of shoppers pointing and laughing at a young Tekkie Town saleswoman forced to stand in the Baywest Mall store’s window with her hands tied behind her back with strips of plastic and a degrading note around her neck, has led to her opening a criminal case against her supervisor.
The note read: “I don’t listen to my supervisor now I’m in the naughty corner.”
Eighteen-year-old Maxime Lee’s mouth was also taped shut later when she asked if she could go back to work.
Her offence – talking and laughing loudly with a colleague.
The supervisor, Thozama Spielman, has been suspended pending an investigation.
Lee, of Palmridge, started working at the shoe store in April. “At around 3pm [on Friday], the store was quiet and we didn’t have much to do, so I went over to my colleague and we started chatting and laughing – which could have been too loud for our supervisor,” Lee said on Monday.
“She called us to the back, but my colleague started fixing her section as she was going to leave at 5pm, so she [the supervisor] grabbed me by my arm and told me to get a page and marker.
“She then wanted to staple [the note] to my shirt, but I told her it would damage it, so she took Prestik and stuck it on.”
Lee said she had laughed at first when people walked by, laughing and taking pictures of her, but then realised just how humiliating it was.
“I initially thought it was a joke but then seeing how people were laughing at me, it made me feel like a joke and I wanted to cry,” she said.
“I apologised to my supervisor and asked to move from the window, but she said no.
“I then started shouting that I wanted to leave the window and get back to work – and that’s when she got the tape to cover my mouth.
“Three girls came into the store demanding that I be removed from the window because it was humiliating and threatening to contact our head office, but my supervisor refused to listen.”
A picture of Lee in the window went viral at the weekend and several people offered her help.
Patriotic Alliance councillor Marlon Daniels went to the store on Monday morning to demand that it close its doors.
“When this was brought to my attention, I could not sleep because the victim is from our northern areas and there is this misconception about people not standing up for one another,” he said.
“There’s very little or no regard for our coloured people by our counterparts.
“It is an uncomfortable truth but it is what it is and this incident just proves that.
“I made sure to be at the store before it opened on Monday and asked them to close their doors because this kind of treatment is unacceptable.
“Even though they initially did not want to, they were left with no choice.
“This is very disturbing and I hope other people will come forward and speak out about their experiences.”
In a statement on its Facebook page on Saturday, Tekkie Town said it was aware of the unacceptable and humiliating treatment of an employee and was investigating.
It had also ensured that Lee would receive counselling.
In another statement on Monday, it said the supervisor had been suspended.
“Further to [the] incident at our Baywest Mall store, Tekkie Town’s operational director has completed a preliminary investigation.
“The supervisor has been suspended pending further investigation and formal disciplinary procedures.
“Tekkie Town condemns any behaviour that undermines anyone’s – our team or our customers – dignity.
“We live by our values and will not tolerate any behaviour that undermines them.”
Spielman dropped the call when a reporter tried to obtain comment from her.
In response to a text message sent afterwards, she said: “I do not have the capacity to comment. Please contact Tekkie Town head management. Thanks.”
Lee said she hoped that talking about her ordeal would encourage others with similar experiences to come forward.
“Head office contacted me telephonically and apologised and offered counselling, which I accepted, but I don’t know how to feel after what happened – it is a lot to deal with.”
Police spokesperson Captain Johan Rheeder confirmed a case of defamation had been opened on Monday but said it should be changed to crimen injuria as it was better suited to the incident.
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