Joshlin Smith’s class teacher Edna Maart on Wednesday revealed that Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, claimed her daughter was taken by boat to West Africa.
Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete
Missing Joshlin Smith’s class teacher Edna Maart revealed that her mother, Kelly claimed that the child had been taken by boat to West Africa.
The teacher said the day after the six-year-old went missing, Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith told her that she had received a call from a Nigerian man.
The mom faces kidnapping and human trafficking charges alongside her boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn.
They appeared on Wednesday morning in the Western Cape High Court sitting in the White City Multipurpose Centre.
Maart took the stand and dropped a bombshell, that Kelly knew of her child's whereabouts after receiving a call from the strange man.
“We were at a petrol station before helping with the search for Joshlin. I was shocked when Kelly came into my car and said she wanted to tell me something in confidence.
Maart said this is when Kelly told her that a man had called her and told her where Joshlin was.
“The Nigerian man said she must be quick, I asked how the Nigerian knew her number, she didn’t reply. The conversation went on, she mentioned that she must be quick because her daughter was in a container on a boat on the way to West Africa. I asked her if she had told the police and she didn’t give me an answer.
“She said she was scared the community members would kill her.”
Maart said she was confused when Kelly made the statement.
“She said, remember Boeta is not guilty. I didn’t know Boeta at the time.”
The teacher recalled how she found out about the disappearance of the child she had only known for a month.
Kelly Smith weeps during the trial concerning her daughter Joshlin's disappearance.
Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete
“It was around 4.30 am when I received a WhatsApp text message from one of the parents, which said Joshlin went missing.
“I confirmed with Kelly over the phone, she was crying.
“I asked her where Joshlin was on the day she went missing, and she continued crying. I asked again if she had heard me and asked where Joshlin was on Monday.
“The call went off, it is possible the call ended, it could have been the weak signal.
"I called later during the day, but she was at the police station, and I gave her space, and then hours later I saw her when she climbed in my car.”
Smith's lawyer, Rinesh Sivnarain, said he was instructed by his client that the name of the Nigerian man is Johan.
“The person was a medium,” Sivnarain told the court.
Cape Argus