“No, I didn’t sell her,” were the words spoken by Kelly Smith, the mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, during her appearance in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Alongside her boyfriend, Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis, and their friends Steveno van Rhyn and Lourentia Lombaard, Smith stood in the dock facing charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.
It has been 85 days since Joshlin disappeared from her home in Middelpos on February 19, and there are suspicions that she may have been sold for R20,000.
The courtroom was filled with anticipation as Saldanha Bay residents gathered outside, hoping to finally hear any information about the missing girl.
The crowd, dressed in Patriotic Alliance t-shirts, arrived in a chartered bus, chanting, “Where is Joshlin?” Inside the court, State Advocate Aradhana Heeramun informed the attendees that the case is in its final stages.
Heeramun stated, “All information received by the police is being thoroughly investigated, and we have received the forensic reports. Once the investigation is complete, this court will be informed about the trial proceedings. Today, we request a postponement until July 15.”
When asked by the Daily Voice about Joshlin’s whereabouts and whether she had sold her daughter, Kelly Smith responded, “I don’t know, ask Boeta [Appollis], and no, I didn’t sell her.” Appollis also claimed to have no knowledge of the situation.
Joshlin’s paternal grandmother, Lauretta Yon, expressed her disappointment with the postponement of the court proceedings. She had hoped to finally discover the location of her granddaughter.
“Now we have to wait for another two months to go back to court,” Yon said. She revealed that she visited Smith in jail on May 4, pleading with her to reveal any information about Joshlin’s whereabouts.
During the visit, Yon recounted, “I asked Kelly when I visited her on that Saturday to talk or else she is going to be locked away for a long time. ‘Where is your child?’ I asked, and she maintained she didn’t know. She insisted that she was not part of this. Her mood was very cool.”
Yon also mentioned her surprise upon hearing about Smith’s pregnancy. She had not noticed it during her previous visit. “She wanted to know why I didn’t bring her young daughter. I told her that I don’t want her to visit her in jail. Joshlin’s father came from Springbok on Sunday night, but he is not talking to us about how he feels,” Yon added.
Joshlin’s father, Jose Emke, refused to comment on his daughter’s disappearance, simply stating, “I am not feeling well, I don’t want to talk.”
The group, including Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn, and Lourentia Lombaard, will remain in custody until their next court appearance on July 15.
The court is eagerly awaiting the completion of the investigation and the subsequent trial. The community continues to hold onto hope that answers will soon be revealed regarding the whereabouts of young Joshlin Smith.
