Complaint on unfair treatment when I was a counting officer

My name is Tholoana Pitiri and I was appointed as a counting officer during the 2024 elections that took place on the 29th of May. My preceding officer was Dineo Mswazi from Eastern Cape Matatiele Maluti at Development centre voting station and I didnt like the way she treated me.

On the 29th when I checked in for work at 18:00 the first I did I went to our Preceding officer and told her that I am on my periods and me informing her was because I was aware of the rules and regulations of IEC especially the one that stated once that counting has commenced no1 is allowed to go out, her response was” you will wear a diaper” I laughed because I knew she was joking or something all those lines and I said “ haibo mama kanjani” then she proceeded and said “ run to the shop and go buy one “ okay I just laughed and she gave us our t-shirts and we went to change. The voting station closed at around 20:50 or maybe I should say at around that time there were no people who were coming to vote and after I had changed I went and relived my colleague who was a marker and I was a marker from 18:00 to 20:50. It was now after 21:00 and the counting of the votes commenced, at around 22:45 I started having sever period pains but I carried on with my work, around 00:45 I requested to go to the bathroom and she allowed me to . I came back and we carried on with our work and in the early am’s I decided to sit down because now my period pains were showing me flames and I think the problem started there but I don’t know. It was now around 3am and most of the party agents were sleeping and I am certain that only 3 were working with us during the verification process, so at this point the 3 of us counting officers we cannot all do the verification and this is where I decided to start sorting the ballot papers according to their parties while the 2 were doing the verification with the 3 party agents who were still awake, and the was a point I was not sorting because the would be a time where my period pains would be so painful that I have to stop and put my hands under my stomach ( in between my abdomin and thighs) this is where the deputy preceding offer said I am just sitting and not doing anything, I did not respond and pushed and carried on working. At around 4am we were almost done counting and we were left with only the regional ballot papers of which I had already sorted most of them and was about to verify them since the other 2 counting officers were busing counting and recording the provincial ballot papers. The preceding officer shouted from her table and said why are we now being slow they are tired they want to go home and rest so we must stand up and work while we are on our feet (at this point all 3 of us counting officers we were seated) , my 2 colleagues stood up and I carried on sitting this is where she came to me and shouted “ Tholoana stop whatever you are doing and stand up” I responded and said to her “ I can’t stand up and work while I am on my feet because I have period pains “ she shouted again as said “ uxelele bani ukuthi you are on your periods “ at this point I was surprised because I did tell her and this is where I said to her “ I told you that I am on my periods first thing when I checked in for work “ . She raised her voice and shouted “ move away from that desk and I will get someone who will do the work” at this point everyone in the hall is staring at me and I stood up and went to sit where she ordered me to go sit. I really did not like how she treated me because the were also males there and she had to embarrass me in front of them because we were now talking about my periods infront of strangers that had no business in knowing that I am on my periods and that I have period pains. At around half past 4 in the morning I took my stuff and left without signing the contract because she was now mumbling something where she was seated and was honestly making me feel uncomfortable. It’s okay that I won’t get paid after I worked throughout the whole night counting because I did not sign my contract, that’s okay but how she treated me ? Embarrassed me and imp**** that I did not inform her about my periods whereas she said I should wear a diaper when I informed her about them is not sitting well with me