The trial into the disappearance of seven-year-old Joshlin Smith resumed this week in the Western Cape High Court sitting in Saldanha Bay Court.
We told you last year about the disappearance of the then-six-year-old Smith from her home in the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape. She was left in the care of her mother’s boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis.
The mother, Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, is one of the three people accused of kidnapping and human trafficking, along with the aforementioned Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn. A fourth accused, Lorentia Lombaard, has since turned state witness.
Another initial suspect, Sangoma Phumza Siqaqa, who was initially charged with Smith, Appollis, and Van Rhyn, had her case dropped because the State found insufficient evidence linking her to the incident. She has since gone into hiding from fear of harm from the community.
The three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
What we know
We know that little Joshlin disappeared on 19 February 2024 while playing outside her house in the Middlepos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape. It is alleged that her mother, Kelly, was at work and left her boyfriend, Appollis, responsible for looking after the girl.
Then, on 2 March 2024, blood-stained clothing believed to belong to Joshlin was found in a field not too far from where the little girl disappeared.
Then, on 6 March 2024, it was revealed that four people had been questioned regarding the little girl’s disappearance, and two had confessed to knowing what happened to Joshlin, while a third was not cooperating.
The world was stunned on 7 March 2024 when Joshlin’s mother, her boyfriend, a family friend and an alleged Sangoma appeared in the Vredendal Magistrates Court, charged with human trafficking and kidnapping. Their case was postponed, and the accused are kept in custody.
Since then, the accused have appeared in court several times, with several postponements, charges against one of the initial accused being dropped and the addition of a new accused who has now turned state witness.
Damning revelations
In October, prosecutor Aradhana Heeramun, representing the State, claimed that Joshlin’s mother had been part of a plan to sell the little girl. This was based on the information given by Lombaard, who turned state witness. “On Sunday, 18 February 2024, Kelly and Joshlin walked to a white motor vehicle parked nearby. An unknown female person alighted from the vehicle and conversed with Kelly. This woman allegedly handed something to Kelly. The mother and Joshlin returned home.
“Later during this day, Appollis, Van Rhyn and Kelly allegedly discussed the plan and how the money would be divided,” the State alleges.
Police brutality claims
Appollis and Van Rhyn claimed in their plea statements that they were subjected to severe police brutality, alleging days of assault and torture. They argue they were coerced into providing false statements under duress.
Van Rhyn’s attorney, Nobahle Mkabayi, detailed his client’s allegations in court: “They pinched my testicles, opened my mouth, and forced a gun inside it, threatening to kill me and bury me in the sand or throw me into the ocean.”
Van Rhyn further claimed that he was suspended in mid-air at one point.
“A plastic bag was placed over my head while I was struck on my head, legs, feet, and hands. I couldn’t breathe,” his plea explanation stated.
Meanwhile, Kelly, through her attorney, has questioned the credibility of the police’s testimony during the trial in an attempt to paint the investigators as incompetent.
The trial is ongoing.
Joshlin’s case is not the only one
Kidnappings in South Africa have skyrocketed by 264% over the past decade, jumping from 4,692 cases in 2014/15 to 17,061 in 2023/24, according to SAPS crime stats. And the trend isn’t slowing down.
Between July and September—the most recent period for which data is available—an average of 50 kidnappings were reported to police every day, marking an 8% increase from the same time last year.
Gauteng remains the kidnapping hotspot, accounting for more than half (51%) of all reported cases. KwaZulu-Natal follows at 20%, followed by the Western Cape, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape at 6% and 5%, respectively. The remaining provinces report between 1% and 4% of cases.
Tshego is a writer and law student from Pretoria. A keen follower of social media trends, his interests include high fantasy media, politics, science, talk radio, reading and listening to music.
He is also probably one of the only people left who still play Pokemon Go.
