No peace for foreigner after murder charges withdrawn

He was accused of a heinous crime – the murder of a teenage girl. The community was rampant, baying for his blood. The charges were withdrawn but, six years later, the man still cannot find peace.
A Nigerian national, James Rich Amabua, the man who was accused of the murder of the teenager, Tsholofelo Simango in 2012 has pleaded with the Herald to inform the community of his innocence. According to Amabua, he still suffers from the accusations that were levelled against him six years ago.
Tsholofelo Simango was murdered in March 2012. A passer-by found her body covered in a white sheet near the Trim park on 17 March. The learner from Potchefstroom Technical High School was reported missing six days earlier when she was supposed to have been at the hostel.
A family friend dropped her off at the taxi rank and thought she would be safe. There, she met up with a group of friends who decided to go to a local tavern instead. The last time anyone saw her alive was when she left the tavern at about 20:00.
Shortly after the body was found, James Rich Amabua was arrested in his flat in Potchefstroom. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and, in his affidavit, he maintained that he was not guilty and that he had never met Simango.
Initially, he was denied bail on 25 April 2012 but, a month later, on 31 May, the judge considered new facts in the bail application. This led to him being granted bail of R4 000. The case against Amabua was finally withdrawn on 13 July 2012.
Many organisations protested outside the court during Amabua’s trial. People held up placards with slogans such as ‘No more Nigerians they must go home’. According to Amabua, bail was initially denied for his own safety. Later, when the community had calmed down, the court reconsidered the decision. According to him, the case was withdrawn as there was no evidence linking him to murder. He had already spent two months in custody.
‘I believe in God and thank Him for my freedom,’ Amabua said.