As the courtroom doors closed behind the three people convicted in the disappearance of little Joshlin Smith, her father, José Emke, stepped forward to speak—his voice trembling with grief and a desperate longing for answers.
Joshlin, just six years old, vanished from her home in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay, on February 19, 2024. That night, her mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, told police she had left Joshlin in the care of her boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, while she went to work. But within days, Kelly, Appollis, and their friend Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn were arrested—accused of something that shocked the entire country: kidnapping and human trafficking.
The unimaginable was confirmed weeks later in court. Witnesses testified, including Lourentia “Renz” Lombaard, who admitted being part of a plan to sell Joshlin to a traditional healer—a sangoma—for R20,000. On May 2, Kelly, Appollis, and Van Rhyn were found guilty. They were sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 10 years for kidnapping, to run concurrently.
Judge Nathan Erasmus didn’t mince words.
“They showed no remorse. While the community searched, while a child was missing, they laughed, they celebrated,” he said. “They betrayed the trust Joshlin had in them—especially you, Ms. Smith, as her mother.”
For José Emke, that betrayal cuts deepest.
“The sentencing is bittersweet,” he said outside court. “I’m relieved they won’t hurt another child. But I’m heartbroken, because I still don’t know where my little girl is.”
José has another daughter with Kelly—a younger child now caught in the aftermath of a nightmare.
“She asks me every day: ‘Where is my sister?’ And I have no answer. That’s what tears me apart. I want to protect her, but how do I explain something like this to a child?”
Despite the horrific details that emerged during the trial, José still believes Joshlin is alive.
“She’s young. She still has a whole life to live. I feel she’s out there somewhere. I just can’t rest until I know where she is.”
His questions are many—but one looms larger than the rest.
“Why did Kelly wait until I was gone to do this? I was only in the Northern Cape for a short while. I didn’t abandon my child. I didn’t walk away. So why, when my back was turned, did she choose this path?”
José said he recently received a call from Joshlin’s godmother, Natasha Andrews. She told him Kelly wanted to speak to their younger daughter.
“I said no. Not until I know the truth. Not until I hear it from Kelly’s own mouth. Until then, I won’t let her near our child. Kelly is dangerous. She’s manipulative. I believe she planned this. She set it in motion. And she still hasn’t told the full story.”
Read also:MEC Mbalula Engages with Stakeholders at Koot Nieman School, Bloemfontein
Police remain committed to finding Joshlin. Western Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, promised the search would not stop.
“We are working around the clock. We’re even collaborating with Interpol. We will not give up until we know what happened to Joshlin—and where she is.”
Child advocacy group Women and Men Against Child Abuse welcomed the life sentences but said more must be done.
“Joshlin was just six when she was sold like livestock. The mother’s involvement is what truly horrifies us. How does a mother even consider this? There are still too many unanswered questions. Someone paid for that child. And someone took her.”
As Child Protection Week begins in South Africa, the case of Joshlin Smith has become a chilling reminder of the dangers children face—even from those meant to protect them.
José Emke is now just a father searching for the truth.
“My message to Kelly is simple,” he said, pausing as emotion caught in his throat. “I just want to hear the truth—from her mouth.”