Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie is calling on Kelly Smith, the mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, to come forward and confess to authorities about the disappearance of her child.
Joshlin Smith vanished outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town, last year, triggering a massive search effort. Despite the extensive police and community search, Joshlin’s whereabouts remain a mystery.
As the trial for Joshlin’s kidnapping and human trafficking charges began on Monday, Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn appeared in court. All three pleaded not guilty to the charges, but McKenzie has urged Kelly Smith to tell the truth about what happened to her daughter.
In a Facebook post on Monday, McKenzie expressed his hope that Kelly Smith would come forward, stating, “The difference is not jail food but the absence of drugs in her body. I sincerely hope that the goodness that we are all born with shall return also, she must confess and share the truth with the authorities regarding her daughter Joshlin.”
McKenzie also speculated that drug abuse may have played a role in Joshlin’s disappearance. He added, “If drugs don’t kill you physically, it kills who you were. I hope as the drugs leave, the truth shall enter her life again. Kelly praat tog net die waarheid (Kelly, please tell the truth).”
The case has sparked intense community interest, with around 200 people attending the trial at the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Center on Monday. The disappearance of Joshlin Smith has devastated the local community, and many are calling for justice to prevail as the trial continues.
As the trial progresses, all eyes remain on the legal proceedings, and the questions surrounding Joshlin’s fate continue to haunt both her family and the community at large. Will the truth ever be revealed?
