A Nigerian man accused of sexual assault and without legal documents to be in the country abandoned his bail application in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court on August 11.

It was his third appearance since his arrest on July 17. Through his lawyer, he said that he was abandoning bail.

His case was postponed to September 14.

The magistrate said the case was postponed because witness statements and further investigation are being awaited.

The man was arrested after a nine-year-old girl went missing for hours in Gamalakhe on July 16, and she was later found at his shop.

The girl was taken to Gamalakhe Clinic and later transferred to the Thuthuzela Care Centre in Port Shepstone.

“I hope that he remains behind bars until his sentencing because the social workers said that if he gets bail, my granddaughter will be taken away from us. I am not comfortable with that because now it seems like we are in the wrong; he is the one who should be sent away because he does not even have a right to be here,” said the victim’s grandmother.

The grandmother also complained that the court does not explain proceedings.

Speaking on behalf of the ANC Women’s League and Gamalakhe community, Thobile Cele said the community wants him to stay behind bars.

“After we heard that he is abandoning bail, we were relieved.”

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