Six-year-old Joshlin Smith went missing over a month ago from her dilapidated shack in the Middelpos informal settlement. Her mother, Raquel “Kelly” Smith, a self-confessed Tik user, is currently awaiting trial in Cape Town’s notorious Pollsmoor prison.
The story of Joshlin’s disappearance and the subsequent events that unfolded have shocked the nation.
Kelly has been charged with human trafficking and kidnapping, alongside her boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, close friend Steveno Van Rhyn, and her neighbor Lourentia “Renz” Lombaard.
On February 19th, Kelly left Joshlin in the care of Appollis while she went to work. When she returned home later that day, Joshlin was missing. Appollis claimed that the last time he saw her was when she went to play outside.
However, senior advocate Aradhana Heeramun alleged that Kelly instructed Appollis and Van Rhyn to sell Joshlin to another Middelpos man for R20,000 for muti, a traditional medicine. This chilling confession was reportedly made by the two men after a 36-hour interrogation at Saldanha police station.
Reverend June Dolley-Major, an activist involved in the search for Joshlin, recently revealed that Kelly is pregnant again. Dolley-Major initially wanted to keep this news private, but an attack on Kelly in prison changed her mind.
Kelly was reportedly assaulted shortly after her arrival at Pollsmoor prison on March 7th. Following the incident, she was placed in a single cell with only senior wardens allowed access to her.
Dolley-Major reached out to the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to ensure the safety of Kelly and her unborn baby.
The DCS confirmed the pregnancy and will determine the appropriate measures based on the criminal charges against Kelly. In the past, mothers were allowed to look after their babies in prison, but this is now dependent on the specific circumstances of each case.
Joshlin’s two siblings, a 10-year-old brother and a three-year-old sister, are currently in the care of family members. The Department of Social Development has deemed the family as not high-risk and believes there is no reason to remove the children from their family environment.
The case of Kelly, Appollis, and Van Rhyn has been postponed until May 13th for further investigations. Lombaard, who was arrested on March 15th, will have her bail hearing on March 25th. While she has made a confession, details of the confession have not been provided.
Investigators are still in the process of obtaining witness statements and conducting data analysis on the accused’s cellphones. Additionally, they are awaiting the results of DNA analysis on bloodstained clothes, a knife, and a sheet found near Joshlin’s home. The search operation for Joshlin is ongoing, with a reward of R250,000 offered for any information that could assist in locating her.
If you have any information on Joshlin’s whereabouts, please contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or send an anonymous SMS to Crime Line at 32211.
