In a heartbreaking conclusion to one of South Africa’s most disturbing child trafficking cases, a Western Cape High Court has sentenced Kelly Smith to life imprisonment, plus an additional 10 years, for the kidnapping and trafficking of her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith.
Joshlin was reported missing in February 2024 from her home in Saldanha Bay. Despite months of nationwide searches and public appeals, she has never been found. Investigations later revealed a deeply unsettling truth, Joshlin had been sold for R20,000 to a traditional healer.
Kelly Smith, the child’s mother, stood accused of orchestrating her daughter’s disappearance with the help of her boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and a close friend, Steveno van Rhyn. Both men received the same sentence: life in prison, with an additional 10 years for kidnapping.
The presiding judge, delivering the sentence in a packed community sports center, condemned Smith’s actions as calculated and cruel. He noted that she repeatedly twisted facts throughout the trial and showed little to no remorse for her role in her daughter’s disappearance.
Witnesses during the trial described disturbing conversations where Smith allegedly spoke about selling her children for money, mentioning amounts even lower than what was eventually paid for Joshlin. The judge described the evidence as overwhelming and heartbreaking.
As part of their sentence, the three individuals will have their names permanently added to the National Child Protection Register, preventing them from ever working with children again.
Though justice has been served in court, Joshlin’s fate remains unknown. Her disappearance continues to cast a long shadow over the Saldanha Bay community, and her name has become a tragic symbol of the dangers many vulnerable children face across the country.
Authorities urge anyone with information that may lead to finding Joshlin to come forward, hoping to one day bring closure to a case that has left a deep scar on the nation.
