Kelly Smith’s claim that her daughter Joslin Smith has made her “famous” has backfired after she made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons. This follows her life sentence for trafficking the little girl, who went missing last year.
According to many publications, the Saldanha Bay mother allegedly sold her daughter to a sangoma for her green eyes, blonde hair, and fair skin.
KELLY SMITH’S LIFE SENTENCE MAKES HEADLINES AROUND THE WORLD
On Thursday, 29 May, Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus imposed a life sentence for trafficking and ten additional years for kidnapping on Kelly Smith and her co-offenders, Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn.
Despite a lengthy eight-week trial and dozens of witnesses, the public has yet to find out what happened to Joslin. During the high-profile court case, the court heard allegations that Joslin had been sold to a sangoma for muti, trafficked by a Nigerian to West Africa, and hidden in an informal settlement.
Kelly also declined to testify, despite telling her family members that she would do so.
Publications like MailOnline, TMZ, People, New York Post, and The Shade Room picked up the story, sensationally claiming that Joslin had been sold for her green eyes and fair skin.
In the comments section, their readers reacted in disgust, calling out Kelly for her merciless and unforgivable actions.
‘JOSLIN MADE ME FAMOUS’
Kelly Smith’s sentencing making headlines around the world, is ironic given her desire to be “famous”.
During the kidnapping and trafficking trial, the court heard how the mother-of-three made shocking comments about her daughter before and after her disappearance.
According to the testimony of Saldanha SAPS station commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Sebola, Kelly’s behaviour “concerned” him.
He said: “When she came into the charge office, she was communicating with a SAPS officer whom she knew. She was acting like it was normal that her child was not there. What concerned me was when she said in her own words: ‘My child Joslin made me famous’. That made me worry. Especially as a parent”.
Similar words were made by fellow witness, community activist, Shakeera Ganief, also known as “Shakes Warrior”.
Shakes said of her liaison with Kelly: “Something very disturbing took place that day.
“It was the moment the Temple Boys were performing a song for the kids [during a church service for Joslin Smith]. Kelly was busy dancing and having a good time, and she was just on top of the world that day, when she made reference again, Yoh, my kind [child] maak [making] my [me] famous.”
Also during the trial, the court heard another witness, Saldanha Bay resident and local pastor Steven Coetzee, recall a disturbing conversation he had with Kelly months before Joslin’s disappearance.
Coetzee says that Kelly had bragged about allegedly receiving offers from undisclosed people who were interested in “buying” her children.
The witness claimed that Kelly then bragged about what would happen once her child was sold. He said, “She assured me that in January or February, Middelpos would look like a movie scene.
He continued: “You will see with your own eyes what will happen in Middelpos, Diazville. It will be like a movie: vehicles, pedestrians, people everywhere. They will search but won’t find anything because I will make the child go far away”.
DO YOU THINK KELLY SMITH HAS ANY REMORSE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO JOSLIN?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
