SALDANHA BAY – In a dramatic development that has once again turned the eyes of the nation toward the windswept coastal town of Saldanha Bay, Gayton McKenzie, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, has made a startling declaration: he believes six-year-old Joshlin Smith is still alive.
Speaking at the official launch of the Joshlin Smith Foundation at the Dial Rock Community Hall on Sunday, 15 March 2026, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader did more than just offer hope. He pledged millions of rands to ensure that Joshlin's siblings are whisked away to Disneyland in Hong Kong, an attempt to provide some respite from the relentless trauma that has defined their lives since their sister vanished more than two years ago.
"I want to ask the CEO of the foundation, which I will introduce now, that I want Joshlin's sister and Joshlin's brother's school fees and their upkeep and support to be paid by this foundation," McKenzie told a packed hall of community members and media. "These children are going through a lot. I want these kids, the next school holiday, the two of them, with the people who are looking after them, to be taken overseas to Disneyland in Hong Kong."
The Minister's conviction that the young girl survived the harrowing ordeal that led to her mother's life sentence is rooted in information he claims to have received from a key figure in the case. McKenzie revealed that Lourentia “Rens” Lombaard, the fourth accused who later turned state witness, had spoken to him directly.
“I'm going to tell the truth… where is Joshlin? I believe Joshlin is still alive,” McKenzie said, adding that Lombaard told him she knows exactly what happened on the day Joshlin vanished from the Middelpos informal settlement in February 2024. The Minister indicated that he intends to furnish the Acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, with this fresh information in the coming week.
A Legacy of Trauma and Betrayal
The disappearance of Joshlin Smith on 19 February 2024 remains one of the most painful chapters in recent South African history. The grade one pupil was left in the care of her mother's boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, while her mother, Kelly Smith, went to work. When Kelly returned, Joshlin was gone.
What followed was a massive search operation involving the South African Police Service (SAPS), specialized K9 units, drones, and thousands of volunteers. The investigation soon took a sinister turn, leading to the arrest of Kelly Smith, Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn. On 29 May 2025, the Western Cape High Court delivered a crushing blow to the community's remaining hope: Kelly Smith and her co-accused were sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping.
During the trial, the court heard gruesome allegations that Joshlin had been sold to a traditional healer for R20,000, specifically for her light skin and green eyes. The prosecution painted a picture of a mother who had "sold, delivered or exchanged" her own flesh and blood. Despite the convictions, the one question that has haunted the country remained unanswered: Where is Joshlin?
The Promise to the Siblings
For Joshlin's brother and sister, the past two years have been a blur of police interviews, court dates, and the sudden, violent removal of their primary caregivers. McKenzie's foundation aims to provide the stability they have lacked.
"I want you to go with them," McKenzie instructed the foundation's leadership. "I want you to leave your kids … I want you to take them to get their passports. I want you to make sure that these two kids, because of the trauma they have gone through, must go to Disneyland in Hong Kong. I do not care how many millions it costs me. I want them to go within two weeks from now. I want the school fees to be paid. I want clothes for them to be bought. I want these children to never want for anything. No child must suffer the way these two children are suffering."
The Minister's personal financial commitment to the cause has been a hallmark of his involvement since the early days of the search. Shortly after Joshlin disappeared, McKenzie announced plans for a foundation, though the formal registration process proved lengthy. Sunday's launch marks the official beginning of its operations, which will focus on keeping Joshlin's name in the public eye and supporting other families of missing children.
New Leads or Political Theatre?
While McKenzie's announcement has been met with emotional support from some residents of Saldanha Bay, it has also raised questions within the legal and investigative communities. The claim that Lourentia Lombaard possesses further information is particularly sensitive.
Lombaard, who was initially charged alongside Kelly Smith, became a state witness and provided testimony that was crucial in securing the convictions. However, her reliability was frequently challenged during the trial, with the defence painting her as an "unreliable drug addict" who had admitted to lying in previous police statements.
Despite this, McKenzie remains undeterred. His plan to meet with Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia suggests a push for the case to be reopened or for a new search to be commissioned based on these alleged "truths." Cachalia, a former law professor who was appointed to the acting role following a cabinet reshuffle in 2025, has been under pressure to address the rising tide of child disappearances and human trafficking in the Western Cape.
A Community Still in Mourning
The Middelpos informal settlement, where Joshlin was last seen, remains a place of deep-seated anxiety. The Joshlin Smith case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader, more terrifying trend of child exploitation in the region. Recent reports from child protection organisations highlight that South Africa continues to struggle with high rates of missing children, many of whom are never found.
In the year following Joshlin's disappearance, several other children in the Western Cape went missing under suspicious circumstances, though none captured the national imagination quite like the "girl with the green eyes." The Joshlin Smith Foundation intends to address these systemic issues by assisting in searches and providing resources to families who often feel abandoned by the state.
"The foundation will focus on keeping Joshlin's name alive, supporting causes linked to missing children and assisting those affected by similar tragedies," McKenzie stated.
As the two siblings prepare for their journey to Hong Kong, the rest of the country watches with bated breath. Whether McKenzie's "shocker" leads to a miraculous recovery or simply adds another layer of complexity to an already convoluted tragedy remains to be seen. For now, the promise of a trip to Disneyland offers a rare moment of joy for two children who have known only the shadow of their sister's absence.
The Minister's final words at the launch served as a reminder of the stakes involved: "I'm going to tell the truth… where is Joshlin? I believe Joshlin is still alive."
For the people of Saldanha Bay, those words are more than just a statement of belief; they are a plea for a miracle that has been two years in the making.
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