South Africans have taken to Twitter to express their shock at videos of what appears to be a nursery school teacher who seems to be hitting children while forcing them to clean.

In one of the videos, it looks like the woman forces a small boy to clean a rug and then repeatedly hits him on the head before tossing him around and stepping on his head.

In another video, the same woman can be seen telling a crying girl to clean up her vomit and then starts to hit her on the head.

After watching the video @zee_pho23 tweeted: "My heart sank". @BrittanyX0_ said: "Wow you don't understand how much this brings tears to my eyes, poor baby." And there have been calls for the perpetrator to be punished.

There have also been questions about why the person filming the incidents didn't step in, though others felt that the films provided important evidence.

In response, the Department of Social Development has asked people to come forward if they have information on the woman:

.@The_DSD condemns the abuse of children and wish to ask members of the public to identify the Crèche and the care-giver who is seen forcing toddlers to clean their classroom while meeting out the harshest punishment to the child. pic.twitter.com/Af1Sz9c45z

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) 4 April 2019

However, the Sowetan Live news site reports that the woman in question has been arrested and is awaiting a court appearance.