McKenzie launches Joshlin Smith Foundation and vows Disneyland trip for siblings

More than a year after the disappearance of Joshlin Smith shocked South Africa, the story continues to ripple through communities, especially in Saldanha Bay, where her family once lived.

On Sunday, Gayton McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance, formally launched the Joshlin Smith Foundation, an organisation aimed at supporting the young girl’s siblings and keeping national attention on the fight against missing children cases.

But the event also carried an emotional promise: McKenzie said he wants Joshlin’s brother and sister to experience something joyful after months of trauma, a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland.

And he wants it to happen soon.

A promise to bring some joy back into the children’s lives

Speaking at the launch held at the Dial Rock Community Hall, McKenzie addressed the crowd with a message focused on the two children who remain deeply affected by their sister’s disappearance.

He called on the foundation’s leadership to ensure the siblings receive ongoing support from education to everyday needs.

“I want their school fees paid. I want clothes bought for them. I want these children to never want for anything,” McKenzie said during the event.

He then went further, announcing plans for the children to travel overseas during the next school holiday.

The destination: Hong Kong’s famous Disneyland theme park.

According to McKenzie, the trip should happen within two weeks and will include the guardians currently caring for the children.

“I don’t care how many millions it costs,” he said. “These children have suffered enough.”

The case that gripped the country

Joshlin’s disappearance in February 2024 from the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay quickly became one of South Africa’s most heartbreaking and widely followed missing child cases.

Search teams combed through areas around the coastal town, volunteers joined community patrols, and the case sparked nationwide concern.

Months later, the courts delivered a major development.

Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, along with co-accused Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, were sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and an additional 10 years for kidnapping.

The sentences run concurrently, and the trio has been added to the national child protection register.

Despite the convictions, the young girl herself has never been found, leaving a painful gap in the case that continues to haunt investigators and the public.

“I believe Joshlin is still alive”

At Sunday’s event, McKenzie made another striking claim: he believes Joshlin could still be alive.

According to him, a key witness may hold information about what happened on the day she disappeared.

He said Lourentia Lombaard, also known as “Rens,” had told him she knew exactly what took place when Joshlin vanished.

McKenzie said he plans to pass this information to acting police minister Firoz Cachalia in the coming week.

While the claims have not yet been verified publicly, they have already sparked intense debate online, with many South Africans hoping the case could still produce answers.

Social media reactions: hope mixed with scepticism

On platforms like X and Facebook, the launch of the foundation quickly drew attention.

Some users welcomed the initiative, saying the siblings deserve support after enduring such a traumatic experience.

Others, however, questioned whether promises like overseas trips might shift focus away from the still-unanswered questions surrounding Joshlin’s disappearance.

The case has always stirred strong emotions across the country.

Many South Africans followed every development closely from the initial search efforts to the dramatic courtroom proceedings.

For communities that have experienced similar tragedies, the case also became a reminder of how vulnerable children can be.

A foundation built from a national tragedy

McKenzie first announced plans to establish a foundation in Joshlin’s name shortly after the case captured national headlines.

However, formal registration and organisational processes meant the initiative took time to materialise.

Now officially launched, the foundation aims to do more than support Joshlin’s siblings.

According to McKenzie, it will also focus on raising awareness about missing children and helping families dealing with similar situations.

In South Africa, where many missing child cases struggle to receive sustained public attention, advocates say initiatives like this can help keep pressure on authorities and ensure victims are not forgotten.

Keeping Joshlin’s name alive

Even after court sentences were handed down, Joshlin’s disappearance remains unresolved.

That lingering uncertainty has left many people still searching for closure.

For residents of Saldanha Bay, the memory of the little girl with bright eyes and a quick smile is not something easily forgotten.

And with the launch of the Joshlin Smith Foundation, her name and the hope of finding answers, is likely to remain firmly in the public conversation.