Mother Accused of Kidnapping South African Girl for Traditional Healing

The ongoing trial involving the mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith has unveiled sinister claims that traditional healers sought the girl for her physical attributes. Kelly Smith, alongside two co-defendants, faces charges of kidnapping and human trafficking as details of the case become increasingly disturbing.

A young South African girl who went missing last year at the age of six is at the center of a harrowing trial unfolding in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town. Joshlin Smith's mother, Kelly Smith, has been accused of masterminding her daughter's alleged kidnapping, with disturbing evidence suggesting that a traditional healer sought the child specifically for her "eyes and skin." The prosecution has laid charges of human trafficking and kidnapping against Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and their associate Steveno van Rhyn, all of whom maintain their innocence.

Joshlin vanished in February 2024 from outside her home, igniting a widespread search that has yet to bear fruit. Initially, Ms. Smith claimed her daughter went missing while under her boyfriend's supervision. However, evidence presented in court indicates that she may have been dishonest regarding the circumstances of the disappearance. Prosecutors allege that she may have "sold, delivered or exchanged" Joshlin, rather than reporting her as missing in a timely manner.

As the trial progresses into its third week, more details are emerging about that fateful day. Witnesses highlighted that Ms. Smith delayed notifying authorities for over six hours and seemed more concerned for her boyfriend’s whereabouts than the welfare of her missing child. There have been chilling accounts from local figures, including a pastor who heard Smith express intentions to sell her children for as little as 20,000 rand (approximately $1,100).

In a turn of events, a neighbor named Lourentia Lombaard testified against Ms. Smith, revealing that the mother had confided in her about selling Joshlin to a sangoma, or traditional healer, out of financial desperation. According to Lombaard, Smith had prepared a bag of belongings for Joshlin before allegedly driving off with a woman believed to be the sangoma. Testimonies indicate that the healer sought the child, though the exact reasoning remains unclear.

The trial continues to draw public attention, with calls from Lombaard urging the safe return of the young girl, pleading, "please bring her back alive." As the legal proceedings are expected to last until March 28, the community remains on edge, hoping for answers in this heartbreaking case of missing childhood.