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A young South African girl aged six, Joshlin Smith who disappeared last was allegedly sought by a traditional healer for her eyes and fair complexion, a court has heard. Her 32-year-old mother from the Eastern Cape province is standing trial for allegedly putting a price on her life.
Ms Smith, stands accused of orchestrating her kidnapping along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn , all pleaded not guilty to charges of human trafficking and kidnapping.
Ms Smith initially stated that Joshlin had gone missing after she left the young girl in Mr Appollis’s care.
By Gamuchirai Mapako
Prosecutors later accused her of having “sold, delivered or exchanged” the six-year-old and lied about her disappearance.
Ms Smith initially claimed that Joshlin, who has a pale complexion and blue-green eyes, went missing after she left her in Mr Appollis’ care.
Prosecutors ultimately accused her with having “sold, delivered, or exchanged” the six-year-old and lying about her absence.
The trial, which is currently in its third week, is being held at Saldanha’s community centre, a location the judge said would allow communities members to be part of the proceedings.
During the first week of the trial, the court heard information of Joshlin’s disappearance, including the fact that Ms Smith alerted the police more than six hours after discovering the young child had vanished.
The court also heard that she remained calm during the frenzied search, seeming more worried about her boyfriend’s location than the missing youngster. More alarming allegations surfaced in the second week.
A local pastor said that as far back as 2023, he had heard Ms Smith the mother of three talk of selling her children for 20,000 rand ($1,100) each, though she had said she was willing to accept a lower figure of $275.
Joshlin’s teacher then alleged in court that Ms Smith had told her during the search that her daughter was already “on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa”.
These disclosures paled in comparison to the horrific information revealed by Lourentia Lombaard, Ms Smith’s acquaintance and neighbour who became a state witness.
She testified and outlined over three days the events leading up to Joshlin’s disappearance, which involved a traditional healer “sangoma”.
Ms Lombaard claimed that her friend confessed to her:
“I did something silly… I sold my child to a sangoma,” and that she was motivated by a desperate desire for money. Joshlin’s mother promised those who knew of the plan some money in return for their silence, Ms Lombaard said.
She told the court that she later saw Ms Smith load some clothes for Joshlin into a black bag, which she then saw her carry as the two headed to meet a woman she suspects to be the sangoma.
Ms Lombaard reported that the mother and daughter got into a white car and drove away with the woman.
On Monday, her last day on the witness, Ms Lombaard told the court that the “person who allegedly took Joshlin wanted her for her eyes and skin”.
It was unclear in court why a sangoma would want a child like this.
A woman believed to be a traditional healer was detained and charged with Ms Smith and her co-accused last year, but the charges were later dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
Sangomas, herbalists, traditional birth attendants, and traditional surgeons are all legally recognised in South Africa under the 2007 Traditional Health Practitioners Act.
Some traditional healers often engage in dishonest conventional so-called remedies, and they have been known to sell good luck charms and money making rituals that include body parts.
Ms Lombaard expressed regret for her role in Joshlin’s disappearance, stating she had attempted unsuccessfully to prevent Ms Smith from selling her daughter.
She begged whoever had kidnapped the small girl to “please bring her back alive”.
The trial is likely to last until March 28th.
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