A state witness has testified that Racquel “Kelly” Smith, the mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, had planned to sell her children for as little as R5,000 in August 2023. The shocking revelation was made by Saldanha Bay resident and evangelist Steven Coetzee during the ongoing trial at the Western Cape High Court, which is being held at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville.
Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn are facing charges of kidnapping and human trafficking. Laurentia Lombaard, a former accused, is expected to testify as a state witness.
Coetzee told the court that he first met Kelly in 2016 at a funeral, where she asked him to help her find a job. They reconnected in August 2023, when Kelly allegedly revealed her plans to sell her children. “She told me she was waiting for people who were supposed to come and take the children. If they didn’t have the full R20,000, she would settle for R5,000,” Coetzee testified.
He added that Kelly made a chilling remark about an upcoming incident, saying, “In January or February, Middelpos will look like a movie scene. Vehicles, pedestrians, people everywhere—they will search but won’t find anything because I will make the child go far away.”
Coetzee only realized the missing child was Joshlin during a prayer service on March 3, 2024. He later approached Joshlin’s grandmother, Louretta Yon, and shared what Kelly had told him. However, he claimed the police did not take his statement.
Earlier in the trial, Joshlin’s teacher, Edna Maart, testified that Kelly had claimed a Nigerian man contacted her, saying Joshlin was being transported to West Africa. “Kelly told me the man said her daughter was already on a boat, inside a container, on the way to West Africa,” Maart said.
TikToker Shakeerah “Shakes Warrior” Ganief also testified, stating that Kelly was overly protective of Boeta. “She would become rude and defensive whenever I mentioned him,” Ganief said.
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TikToker’s Testimony Raises Doubts in Joshlin Smith Case