Residents of Saldanha Bay on Thursday bayed for the blood of Kelly Smith when it turned out that she was one of the four people arrested in connection with the kidnapping of her six-year-old daughter Joshlin.
Racquel “Kelly” Smith, 33, her boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, his friend Steveno van Rhyn and alleged sangoma Phumza Sigaqa appeared in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court, where they were charged with kidnapping and human trafficking.
Police are still busy searching for Joshlin, who disappeared from her Middelpos home nearly three weeks ago on Monday, February 19, while she was in the care of Appollis.
According to Kelly, Joshlin was feeling sick and didn’t go to school that day. She claimed that she left her daughter alone with her boyfriend while she went to work. And when she returned at about 5pm the Grade 1 learner at Diazville Primary was gone.
The next day, police sent out a statement about the missing child.
More than R250,000 reward money has been put for information leading to the whereabouts of Joshlin, as a wide and extensive search was launched including the police, community members, the Navy, a small army of Law Enforcement officers, divers, drones and K-9 units.
On February 26, a crying Appollis appeared on eNCA claiming he was not involved in the disappearance of Joshlin, while Kelly insisted her boyfriend was innocent.
The mother of three also confessed during a live stream on Facebook with Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton Mckenzie that she was a tik addict, but claimed she stopped using the day her daughter disappeared.
And according to Mckenzie, both Kelly and Appollis had passed a lie detector test arranged by him.
Meanwhile, Joshlin’s father Jose Emke arrived in Saldanha Bay from the Northern Cape last Tuesday, and said he wants custody of his two children with Kelly, which is Joshlin and a three-year-old girl.
On Saturday, police found blood-stained clothing in a field and it was sent for forensic testing, the details of which have not been shared with the public.
On Tuesday night, police took in for questioning four people and on Wednesday it was revealed that they were all arrested for Joshlin’s disappearance, after one of them allegedly confessed to cops that they had sold the child for R20,000 to a sangoma for muti.
They made their first appearance in a packed courtroom in Vredenburg on Thursday, while hundreds of people gathered outside baying for their blood.
“Waar is Joshlin?” (Where is Joshlin) echoed through the streets as the angry crowd chanted, with some demanding that police “threaten and torture” Kelly to find out where her daughter is.
All four accused applied for Legal Aid to represent them and their case was postponed until March 13 for bail information.
Outside, outraged residents demanded that police release Kelly and “let them deal with her” and as the vehicle transporting the accused left the court, they screamed all types of abuse at the occupants.
Back in Diazville, Joshlin’s paternal grandmother Anna Wilson was left distraught after seeing Kelly in the dock.
The grandma said: “I think that the law must take its course.
“I was hurt when I saw the mother and her boyfriend standing in court, and they can’t give an account of where Joshlin is. This whole thing doesn’t make sense to me, it’s confusing.
“I can’t understand, she was part of the search team, why can’t they all come out with the truth? I just want Joshlin back, it doesn’t matter what condition she is in,” Wilson said.
“If she is no longer there, then we can have a dignified funeral, and we can have peace of mind. I believe she is still alive. In court her father was shaking from the emotions he was feeling,” the emotional granny said.
“We advised him that even if he sees Kelly he mustn’t show any hard feelings towards her or approach her. We are all waiting for the outcomes of the investigation.”
Meanwhile, “sangoma” Phumza Sigaqa’s husband Silindokuhle Bekameva insisted his wife was innocent and claimed that the police tortured her.
“On Tuesday the police arrested my family and I, including my young children,” he said.
“I witnessed them torture her, putting a plastic bag over her head. My children are traumatised after the whole ordeal.
“My wife had nothing to do with this case, she is not friends with Kelly, she isn’t a sangoma and has never been one, she was never arrested for anything.”
Resident Lwando Cengimbo said the case has divided the community.
“We know that Phumza is not a sangoma and has never been one. The search has now been divided into blacks and coloureds,” Cengimbo said.
Acting Social Development MEC Nomafrench Mbombo confirmed that her department has stepped in for Kelly’s two other children aged 10 and three.
“The two siblings are with families, but we are taking care of that,” she said.
Top Provincial police officer Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile confirmed the search for Joshlin has not stopped, saying: “We are making an appeal to everyone in this country and province to help us search.
“Anything is possible, more people will be arrested if the investigation leads us to that.”