Allegations Emerge in the Disappearance of South African Girl Linked to Traditional Healer

In a harrowing case, six-year-old Joshlin Smith disappeared in February 2024, allegedly kidnapped by her mother who is now facing trial. New evidence suggests that a traditional healer sought Joshlin for her fair complexion and striking blue-green eyes, fueling suspicions of human trafficking. The trial continues as more chilling details unfold.

A six-year-old South African girl named Joshlin Smith, missing since February 2024, is at the center of a grim narrative involving human trafficking and alleged collusion with a traditional healer. During the ongoing trial of Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, shocking testimonies have emerged suggesting that a healer sought the child for her "eyes and skin."

Joshlin's mother, along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and friend Steveno van Rhyn, has pleaded not guilty to human trafficking and kidnapping charges. The case has drawn national outrage since Joshlin's disappearance from her home in Saldanha Bay, just outside Cape Town. Initial claims from Ms. Smith indicated that she had left Joshlin in Appollis's care when the child went missing.

However, prosecutors have since accused her of selling or exchanging her daughter, and that she delayed reporting the disappearance to police for over six hours while seeming more concerned about her boyfriend than her daughter. The trial, now in its third week, has revealed increasingly troubling information, including allegations made by a local pastor, who testified that Ms. Smith had previously expressed intentions to sell her children for monetary gain.

In an emotional courtroom testimony, Lourentia Lombaard, a neighbor and close friend of Ms. Smith, claimed that Smith had confided in her about selling Joshlin to a "sangoma," a traditional healer. Lombaard stated, "I did something silly… I sold my child to a sangoma" when revealing her motivations driven by financial desperation. She described witnessing Kelly Smith packing Joshlin's clothes into bags before departing with a woman whom she believed to be the healer.

The court hearing explored the disturbing notion that the traditional healer may have sought Joshlin for her remarkable appearance. While the reasons remain unclear, the chilling implications of such motivations have left the public uneasy. A woman thought to be the healer was arrested with the accused but had charges dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Lombaard expressed remorse for her inability to prevent the alleged sale and appealed for the safe return of Joshlin, recounting a desperate hope that the little girl is still alive. The trial is anticipated to last until March 28, further unearthing the complexity of this troubling case involving a child and the dark underbelly of cultural practices.