Two Years On, the Family of Missing Joshlin Smith Refuses to Give Up Hope

It has been almost two years since six-year-old Joshlin Smith disappeared from her home in Diazville, Saldanha Bay, yet her family insists they will never stop searching.

Joshlin vanished on February 19, 2024, while in the care of her mother’s boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis. Her mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, later told police she had left her daughter with him while she went to work. When she returned, Joshlin was gone.

The disappearance sparked one of the largest community searches Saldanha Bay has ever seen, residents scoured beaches, open fields, and abandoned houses, aided by drones, K9 units, and police task teams. The case gripped the country, with prayers, marches, and social media campaigns demanding answers.

A Trial That Shocked South Africa

Weeks after Joshlin’s disappearance, suspicion shifted closer to home. On March 5, 2024, police arrested Smith, Appollis, and their friend Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn, charging them with human trafficking.

The court later heard chilling testimony from Lourentia “Renz” Lombaard, who turned state witness. She claimed Joshlin was sold to a sangoma for ritual purposes, a claim that horrified communities across South Africa and highlighted the brutal realities of human trafficking.

In May 2025, Judge Nathan Erasmus delivered his verdict at the White City Multipurpose Centre, which had been transformed into a High Court to accommodate the intense public interest. Smith, Appollis, and van Rhyn were each sentenced to life imprisonment, even though Joshlin’s body has never been found.

Erasmus said the case laid bare how children are “treated like commodities” in trafficking networks.

A Grandmother’s Faith

For Joshlin’s paternal grandmother, Lauretta Yon, justice in court has not brought closure. She still believes Joshlin is alive.

“I must believe that she is still alive because we didn’t get her body. She cannot be dead, so if we don’t have a body, the search must still continue,” Yon said.

She recounted visiting Kelly Smith in prison, asking directly what happened to her granddaughter. “She told me she doesn’t know what happened. She denied selling Joshlin,” Yon said quietly.

Joshlin’s younger sister, Rochelle, who now lives with her father in the Northern Cape, often asks about her. “She talks about Joshlin all the time. She knows she is gone, but she knows she is her sister,” Yon said.

Police: The Search Is Not Over

Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile confirmed the case remains open and active.

“We are searching internationally, and we keep going back to prison to ask those convicted where we can find Joshlin,” he said. Police recently returned to Saldanha Bay with K9 units after receiving new leads, though no breakthrough has yet come.

Still, investigators remain determined: “We will continue searching for her,” Patekile said.

A Community That Still Cares

The case has become more than just a tragedy, it is a wound in the community. In Saldanha Bay, conversations about child safety are now part of daily life. Residents often recall the days of searching shoulder to shoulder, refusing to give up on one of their own.

On social media, many South Africans continue to share Joshlin’s photo, using hashtags to keep her story alive. For some, the case has come to symbolize a broader fight against child trafficking and violence in the country.

Hope Without Closure

For Yon, the hardest part is living in limbo. “I know the police are still working tirelessly. I just hope they will find her soon,” she said.

While three people are behind bars, closure remains elusive. For Joshlin’s family, true justice will only come when she is found. Until then, they hold on to hope, a hope as fierce and unyielding as the ocean that borders their small West Coast town.

{Source: IOL}

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