Disturbing Allegations Surround Disappearance of South African Girl

The ongoing trial of Kelly Smith, accused of orchestrating the kidnapping of her daughter Joshlin, has unveiled disturbing allegations, including a traditional healer's interest in the child's features. As the court hears compelling testimonies from witnesses, the search for the missing girl continues, eliciting anguish and outrage in South Africa.

A young South African girl, Joshlin Smith, who went missing at the tender age of six in February 2024, has become the focus of a shocking trial that suggests she was targeted by a traditional healer for her fair complexion and blue-green eyes. Her mother, Kelly Smith, along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and friend Steveno van Rhyn, stand accused of orchestrating the girl’s kidnapping and are pleading not guilty to charges of human trafficking and kidnapping.

Joshlin’s disappearance sent ripples of fear throughout South Africa, her last scene outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town. Initially, Smith claimed that Joshlin had gone missing while in Appollis's care, but investigators later accused her of having "sold, delivered or exchanged" the child and not being truthful about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

The trial, which is now in its third week, revealed troubling details, including Ms. Smith alerting authorities more than six hours after initially discovering Joshlin was missing. Testimonies indicated that during the ensuing search, her demeanor seemed unusually calm, as she showed more concern for her boyfriend's whereabouts than her daughter's safety.

As the trial progressed, even more harrowing claims were made. A local pastor recounted how, back in 2023, Ms. Smith had discussed selling her children for a price, while Joshlin’s teacher remarked that Ms. Smith, amidst the search efforts, mentioned her daughter was already “on a ship, inside a container, and on the way to West Africa."

Perhaps the most alarming testimony came from Lourentia Lombaard, a former friend and neighbor, who revealed that Ms. Smith confessed to "selling" her child to a sangoma, or traditional healer, motivated by dire financial distress. Lombaard recounted witnessing Ms. Smith packing a bag for Joshlin, moments before the pair left with a woman “who wanted [Joshlin] for her eyes and skin.”

The reasons for such requests by a traditional healer remained ambiguous in court. It is known that in South Africa, sangomas are respected as traditional health practitioners. However, there are cases of exploitation involving body parts purportedly used in charms.

Lombaard, visibly distressed about her involvement, expressed her heartbreak and appealed for Joshlin’s safe return, urging whoever had taken her to "bring her back alive." The court proceedings are ongoing, with the trial slated to conclude at the end of March.