Saldanha Bay – The trial surrounding the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith continues to grip the nation as new evidence casts doubt on her mother's alibi. The Western Cape High Court, sitting at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay, heard testimony that directly contradicts Kelly Smith's account of her whereabouts on the day her daughter vanished.
A key point of contention has been Kelly Smith's claim that she was working at the home of Kelly Zeegers on the day Joshlin went missing. However, Zeegers took the stand on Tuesday, presenting evidence that challenges this alibi.
Kelly Zeegers testified that Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith was scheduled to clean her home on February 19th, but CCTV footage from her property showed no sign of Smith's presence. "I felt something wasn’t right," Zeegers told the court. "I checked the footage from 10am until after 2pm, but she was not there. I even looked at the footage from 18 February, she was not there either."
Zeegers also recounted the initial moments after learning about Joshlin's disappearance. She stated that Kelly had contacted her, inquiring if Joshlin was at a nearby tuckshop. "I went there, but there was no one. Kelly also asked me to check if Natasha’s vehicle was there, but it wasn’t. She then told me Joshlin was gone but didn’t know where she was. I told her the shop was locked," Zeegers explained.
Later that evening, Zeegers followed up with Kelly for updates. "She said there was nothing, but that two kids claimed they had seen Joshlin walking into the bushes with two men," Zeegers testified. "I kept calling until around 10pm. They told me they were on their way to speak to one of the men. They were also searching the house and asked me to come down, but I refused because I couldn’t leave the children alone, especially with load shedding." Zeegers added that she later heard Smith calling out for Joshlin around midnight.
The social worker who attended to Kelly Smith's family after the disappearance of her daughter, Joshlin, told the court that she abused and neglected her children because of drug use.
Siliziwe Mbambo, a social worker from the Department of Social Development, testified that Kelly Smith's family had brought concerns to their attention in February 2016. She said Kelly's grandmother reported that Kelly was neglecting her eldest child because of drugs. "In the report, it was indicated that she swore at the child and even threatened to stab him. It was revealed in our investigations that she also threatened to assault her grandmother. It was recorded in the file that on the same day, the grandmother wanted to obtain a protection order against Kelly,' Mbambo said.
Mbambo told the court that they reached out to Kelly's family after a community-based organisation informed her of Joshlin's disappearance. "They reported to me about a missing child who was identified as Joshlin Smith. The matter was already reported to the police,' testified Mbambo, who added that for a few days, she struggled to get hold of Kelly as she was out searching for the missing girl. She finally managed to see her on 24 February, five days after Joshlin went missing. "From my assessment as a social worker, she was traumatised by her child's disappearance. During our engagement, she was emotional.' Mbambo told the court that Kelly confirmed to her that Joshlin did not go to school on the day she disappeared because her school uniform was not washed. "Her friends told me that she was using drugs but that she was a loving mother. She confirmed that she used drugs but said the last time she took the drugs was on the day her daughter went missing. She also confirmed that she had gone for rehabilitation in the past, but she relapsed and went back to drugs,' added Mbambo.
The testimony of both Zeegers and Mbambo add layers of complexity to an already heart-wrenching case, raising serious questions about the events leading up to Joshlin's disappearance and the truthfulness of Kelly Smith's statements.
In other developments, Joshlin's father, Josh Emke, had to leave the trial on Tuesday due to illness. Just before 2pm, Emke, who was wearing a thick navy jacket, appeared to lose his balance. He was sitting near his mother, Louretta Yon. A few minutes later, Emke fell to his side and a community member in the public gallery rushed to catch him. Court orderlies assisted him and took him outside for further assistance.
The trial continues, with the community anxiously awaiting further developments and hoping for answers in the search for Joshlin Smith.
