A Year Behind Bars: Kelly Smith's Life Sentence and the Unresolved Mystery of Joshlin Smith
Saldanha Bay, Western Cape – A year has passed since Racquel “Kelly” Smith began serving her life sentence for the kidnapping and trafficking of her daughter, Joshlin Smith, a case that continues to grip the nation. Despite Smith’s incarceration, the whereabouts of Joshlin, who vanished from her Middelpos home in Saldanha Bay in February 2024, remain a haunting mystery. If alive, the little girl with the striking green eyes would celebrate her ninth birthday this October.
Smith, along with co-accused Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, received the maximum sentence of life imprisonment on 29 May last year in the Western Cape High Court, sitting in Saldanha Bay. The verdict followed a marathon three-month trial where state prosecutors successfully argued that Kelly orchestrated her daughter’s disappearance, allegedly selling her for R20 000 to a sangoma, or traditional healer.
Life behind bars for Kelly Smith has, in some aspects, taken an unexpected turn. It has been revealed that she is permitted one phone call a week, with most of these calls reportedly made to her remaining children. Furthermore, over the festive season, Smith was crowned “Miss Breede River Queen” during the Worcester prison modelling competition, an event that reportedly saw her glow with pride.
Even within the confines of prison, Smith continues to follow the developments surrounding Joshlin’s disappearance. She reportedly keeps abreast of the case through newspapers brought into the facility, including the launch of the Joshlin Smith Foundation by Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie earlier this year. This foundation has also been instrumental in establishing a multimillion-rand sports facility at Diazville Primary School, the very institution Joshlin attended before her tragic vanishing.
However, the Smith family has publicly distanced themselves from Kelly. Her mother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, told News24 that she would not permit Smith’s children to visit their mother in prison. “We will never visit her – it will never happen as long as I’m alive. She made her bed so she must sleep in it,” Smith-Daniels stated emphatically. She also revealed that while Kelly used to phone their home, these calls have largely ceased. “She used to phone here, but I recently stopped the calls because my grandson doesn’t want to talk to his mom,” Smith-Daniels explained.
Despite her family’s stance, News24 understands that several friends, neighbours, and former acquaintances have visited Kelly Smith over the past year. Meanwhile, attempts by Smith-Daniels to adopt Kelly’s remaining children have hit a legal obstacle, as Smith is understood to be unwilling to consent to the adoption.
The Joshlin Smith Foundation, in the interim, continues its vital work supporting the children left behind in the wake of Joshlin’s disappearance. Smith-Daniels confirmed that Gayton McKenzie has honoured his promise to cover the siblings’ school fees in full. “He stuck to his word. And what the children needed, he provided and let them have it,” she affirmed. McKenzie had also announced, during the foundation’s launch, an all-expenses-paid trip to Disneyland for Joshlin’s siblings and caregivers. However, this trip has not yet materialised, with Smith-Daniels attributing the delay to Kelly. “Kelly is the one who has to give permission for us to make the passports. So even while she is sitting in jail, she is still controlling our lives,” her mother lamented.
Requests for comment from McKenzie regarding the delayed trip went unanswered. Meanwhile, Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed that the disappearance of Joshlin Smith remains an active and prioritised investigation. Fresh leads earlier this year prompted a convoy of police officers and K9 search units to return to the dunes in Middelpos. These renewed efforts followed claims that possible evidence linked to Joshlin’s disappearance could be buried there. Despite an extensive two-day search operation, investigators were unable to make any breakthrough or uncover evidence connected to the missing child’s case.
The ongoing search for Joshlin, the complex family dynamics, and Kelly Smith’s life in prison paint a poignant picture of a community still grappling with a profound loss and an unresolved tragedy. The case continues to serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by children and the enduring pain of a missing loved one, as the hope for Joshlin’s return, however faint, persists.
