‘I want to know what happened to her,’ says Joshlin Smith’s grandmother before trial

Jacquen Rowhan Appollis, Steveno Dumazio Duwayne Van Rhyn and Racquel Chantel Smith during the pre-trial hearing in the Joshlin Smith disappearance case at Western Cape High Court on February 21, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. The suspects are facing charges of kidnapping and trafficking in the case of the Grade 1 Diazville Primary School learner who was last seen on February 19th wearing a light blue T-shirt and light blue denim shorts. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)

By Vincent Cruywagen

24 Feb 2025

Joshlin Smith’s paternal grandmother says she can forgive those accused of trafficking the six-year-old in Saldanha. She just wants to know where Joshlin is.

Rita Yon, grandmother of Joshlin Smith, who was six years old when she went missing in Saldanha on 19 February 2024, wants to know what happened to her grandchild.

The trial against the three accused in the kidnapping and human trafficking case – Joshlin’s mother Racquel “Kelly” Smith, Jacquen Appollis, Kelly’s boyfriend, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn – will begin in the Saldanha Multi-Purpose Centre on Monday, 3 March 2025.

kelly smith mother Joshlin Smith’s mother Racquel Chantel ‘Kelly’ Smith. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)

Jacquen Rowhan Appollis, Steveno Dumazio Duwayne Van Rhyn and Racquel Chantel ‘Kelly’ Smith at the pre-trial hearing in the Joshlin Smith disappearance case at the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town on 21 February 2025. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)

“If Kelly and her co-accused don’t want to say where Joshlin is, I want to know what happened to her. If it is that Joshlin is not alive then they must say where her body is so that we can exhume the body and give Joshlin a decent burial,” Yon, Smith’s paternal grandmother, told Daily Maverick on Sunday.

“I don’t hate anyone; it is not my place to hate someone. Although I can forgive them, I will never forget their actions since they serve as a reminder of what transpired.”

Yon continued, “I don’t think they knew how much anguish they’d caused me, my family, and the community.”

Presiding Judge Nathan Erasmus indicated the trial would run from 3-28 March (continuously). The announcement that the trial would be held in Saldanha was made on Friday, 21 February.

The decision to move the trial to the West Coast was welcomed by the community. Yon said she was grateful that the trial would be conducted in Saldanha, allowing the community to attend the proceedings.

“If the trial had taken place in Cape Town, I and other community members would not have been able to attend,” she said.

Search ongoing

Kelly Smith and her co-accused face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking stemming from the disappearance of Joshlin, a Grade 1 learner at Diazville Primary, who went missing from the Middelpos informal settlement.

At the time of her disappearance, Joshlin’s mother said she dropped Joshlin off with her boyfriend, Appollis, at around 8am and went to work. When she returned at 5pm, Joshlin was gone.

The following day, 20 February 2024, the police K9 Unit search dogs, NGOs and volunteers scoured the area, going door to door and searching drains while a helicopter focused on inaccessible areas and rescue boats went out.

A week after her disappearance, the police scaled back their search, but police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie stressed that the investigation team was still working around the clock, following up on all information.

SAPS continues to follow new leads. The last search was conducted a month ago.

Read more: Search for Joslin — police grill four ‘people of interest’ while officers, dog unit scour Saldanha rubbish dump

A semi-breakthrough occurred when prosecutor Aradhana Heeramun in October 2024 revealed that Joshlin was allegedly “sold, delivered or exchanged”, and that Kelly allegedly orchestrated the little girl’s sale and lied about her disappearance.

The allegations against Kelly, Appollis and Van Rhyn appear to have come to light after another accused, Lorentia Lombaard, turned State witness. Charges were dropped against Lombaard and she is the State’s key witness against Kelly, Appollis and Van Rhyn. Lombaard is a friend of Kelly and Appollis.

Read more: State details how Joshlin Smith’s mother orchestrated human trafficking sale as family marks her seventh birthday

The allegations

On the first day of the trial, Kelly and her co-accused will plead to the charges. The strength of the prosecution case is based on Lombard’s confession; however, the defence will attempt to poke holes in her statement and question her credibility.

The State’s summary of substantial facts describes in full the alleged plot to traffic Joshlin.

According to Lombard, Kelly reportedly expressed in August 2023 her intention to have her children abducted or sold. The State also argues that this was supposed to happen in January or February 2024.

“On Sunday, 18 February 2024, Kelly and Joshlin walked to a white motor vehicle that was parked nearby. An unknown female person alighted from the vehicle and allegedly conversed with Kelly. This woman handed something to Kelly. She and Joshlin returned to the home,” the summary of facts reads.

Later that evening, Lombard and the other three suspects allegedly discussed the scheme and how the money would be distributed. On 19 February 2024, Joshlin was expected to attend school.

The State further claims that Kelly notified Joshlin and her little sibling that they would not attend school that day.

Kelly allegedly packed Joshlin’s clothes into a bag and left for work. Joshlin and her sibling were left in the care of Appollis.

“Later during the same day, Kelly arrived at the house. Kelly allegedly took Joshlin and the bag she had packed earlier. They left the house on foot. Kelly and Joshlin got into a white vehicle that drove away. Later the same night, Kelly began looking for Joshlin and reported her missing to the police,” the State claims in court documents.

Community in fear

The Saldanha community is still living in fear for their own children. Josephine Brown, Kelly’s friend and one of the first people to join the search group after Joshlin went missing, asked which child might be next.

Brown said the recollection of a child being purportedly kidnapped and trafficked in Saldanha still sent chills down the mothers’ spines.

“For me, it remains heartbreaking. I was initially concerned because I also had a girl. If Joshlin disappeared so suddenly and without a trace, where does it leave our children? The same can happen to our children.

“We still live in fear every day, trying to keep our children indoors. Every parent is on edge and terrified about who will be the next child as long as the alleged human traffickers who allegedly purchased Joshlin are still on the streets,” she said.

Brown also said Kelly had a really unhappy life, grew up without a mother, and was raised by her grandmother. Brown described Kelly as a very intelligent person who once worked as a quality controller at Sea Harvest.

In response to claims that Kelly was entrapped in drugs, she confirmed that her friend did have a drug issue and had booked herself into rehab multiple times before relapsing.

However, she reiterated that despite Kelly’s apparent drug addiction, neither Kelly nor her children slept without a meal.

“Kelly was always given a plate of food to share when she entered a house or conducted char work. Kelly didn’t run out of food. All I want to know from Kelly when she takes the stand is why she allegedly sold her child, as the States claims.” DM

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Search ongoing

The allegations

Community in fear