A South African mother has been sentenced to life imprisonment after selling her six-year-old daughter to a so-called ‘healer’ for just £800.
Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, 35, was found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking alongside her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn.
The child, Joshlin Smith, known for her fair complexion and striking turquoise eyes, disappeared last February near her home in Saldanha Bay, close to Cape Town, and has not been seen since.
A court heard during the six-week trial how Smith was sought out by a ‘healer’ for her ‘light eyes and skin’, with the mother reportedly only receiving around £800 for her.
‘On the human trafficking charge, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the kidnapping charge, you are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment,’ Judge Nathan Erasmus told the trio.
He said he ‘drew no distinction’ from each other in their evil crime and the cold-hearted group showed no emotion as their sentences were read out.
The shocking trial has captivated South Africa for the last few months, with Joshlin still missing despite a major search operation.
Joshlin’s grandmother, who now cares for her daughter’s eldest child, pleaded with Smith ahead of the sentence to ‘bring my [grand]child back or tell me where she is’.
Little Joshlin Smith, who has a fair complexion and turquoise eyes, disappeared last February after vanishing outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town
During the six-week trial, the court heard that Joshlin was specifically targeted by a ‘healer’ for her ‘light eyes and skin,’ with her mother reportedly receiving only about £800 in return.
Amanda Smith-Daniels later told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, “I don’t feel that any sentence they get will bring my grandchild back.”
She said her family has been left “broken” and condemned her daughter for shifting blame onto others when “she was the person that did the deed.”
“How do you sleep and live with yourself?” she asked the callous mother during her victim statement on Wednesday, after a social worker revealed that Joshlin had been living a life of neglect.
Smith and her accomplices refused to testify or call any witnesses in their defense. However, over 30 people were brought to court to speak about Joshlin’s troubled life and disappearance.
Lourentia Lombaard, Smith’s friend and neighbour, told the community centre—where the court was held to allow local attendance—that Smith admitted to doing “something silly” in a shocking confession.
In the days before Joshlin vanished, Smith confessed to Lombaard that she had sold her child to a “sangoma,” a traditional healer.
Ms. Lombaard said she later saw Smith packing some of Joshlin’s clothes into a black bag, which she carried when meeting a woman she believes was the sangoma.
According to Lombaard, Smith then got into a white car with Joshlin and the sangoma, and they drove away.
One of Joshlin’s teachers also revealed that during one of the searches, Smith claimed Joshlin was “already on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa.”
A local pastor testified in court that he heard Smith, a mother of three, discuss selling her children for 20,000 rand—approximately £827.
The shocking trial has gripped South Africa over the past few months, with Joshlin still missing despite an extensive search operation.
![Joshlin's grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, pleaded with her daughter ahead of the sentence to 'bring my [grand]child back or tell me where she is'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/05/29/10/98855545-14760737-image-a-51_1748510873286.jpg)
Joshlin’s grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, made a heartfelt plea to her daughter before sentencing, urging her to “bring my [grand]child back or at least tell me where she is.”
In the days before Joshlin disappeared, her mother confessed to a neighbour that she had sold her child to a ‘sangoma’—a traditional healer (pictured in January).
During one of the searches for Joshlin, Smith claimed that the child was already “on a ship, inside a container, and they were on their way to West Africa” (pictured earlier this month).
Members of the public reacted after the group was found guilty of human trafficking and kidnapping.
The court also heard testimony from a local pastor who revealed that Smith, a mother of three, had spoken about selling her children for 20,000 rand—equivalent to £827. Smith was reportedly willing to accept even less, with claims she was ready to sell Joshlin for just £200.
A social worker assigned to prepare a report on the trio stated that it would not be “a stretch to conclude that Smith is the mastermind behind the trafficking of her own daughter.”
The report also detailed Smith’s history of drug abuse, which reportedly began when she was 15. She was addicted at the time Joshlin was born, and it took her five months to register the child’s birth.
Smith’s mother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, eventually evicted her from her home due to her drug abuse, after Smith threatened to stab her own son.
Smith spent periods living at a shelter for abused women but was reportedly abusive toward her own children when under the influence.
She later entered rehabilitation, and during that time, Joshlin lived with family friends who attempted to adopt her. Although the parents blocked the adoption, Joshlin was still able to spend weekends with them and go on trips.
Police said children’s clothing had been recovered near the settlement of small houses where Joshlin lived (pictured)
The courtroom sobbed when the song was played for them to hear.
A woman believed to be the sangoma was arrested alongside the other defendants last year, but the charges against her were dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Sangomas are recognised in South Africa under the Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2007. It is believed they can access ancestral spirits who guide their healing.
In March, police said children’s clothing had been recovered near the settlement of small houses where Joshlin lived and was sent to a laboratory for forensic examination.
Community members who are also involved in the search said the clothing was spattered with blood and a knife was also found. Police didn’t give any more details on what was discovered.
Western Cape province police commissioner Thembisile Patekile told reporters during the trial that more arrests could be made, but authorities also had to re-focus on the search for Joshlin.
‘At this stage, we do not have a child,’ he said. ‘Our ultimate goal is to find the child. We still want to find that child alive.’
Smith’s youngest child now lives with his father.
Last year, 632 children were reported missing in South Africa, with the figure nearly reaching 9,000 across the last decade, it was reported in a local news outlet.
Bianca van Aswegen, a criminologist and national co-ordinator at Missing Children South Africa, told the BBC thatchild trafficking ‘is much more of a crisis than police stats actually show us due to the fact of many cases going unreported’.
‘I have never really seen a case blow up like this in South Africa before [and] neither have we seen such a big search for a missing child. I think social media played a big role [and] we had political parties get involved in the case,’ she added.
Protesters gathered outside the courthouse during the verdict hearing, with many in the community demanding a “harsh sentence because they deserve it.”
“We could have provided for her better than her mother,” Natasha Andrews said during the trial.
It was only after all the victim statements were read yesterday, alongside a video clip of Joshlin laughing on holiday with the Andrews family, that Smith finally broke down in tears.
Joshlin’s father, Jose Emke, also became overwhelmed with emotion and had to be carried out of the courtroom.
Ms. Andrews shared the video to give people a sense of Joshlin’s voice, saying, “So many people… don’t know what Joshlin sounds like.”
The youngster was described by her teacher, Edna Maart, as “very tidy” and a quiet pupil.
Since Joshlin’s disappearance, her school friends have frequently asked about her whereabouts, leaving Ms. Maart struggling to provide answers.
Every day, the class plays Joshlin’s favourite gospel song, “God Will Work It Out,” at the start of the day so they can feel her presence with them.
Smith and her accomplices declined to testify or call any witnesses in their defense during the trial.
Police reported that children’s clothing was recovered near the settlement of small houses where Joshlin lived (pictured) and sent for forensic examination.
The courtroom was moved to tears when Joshlin’s favourite gospel song was played during the hearing.
A woman believed to be the sangoma was arrested alongside the other defendants last year, but charges against her were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Sangomas are traditional healers recognized in South Africa under the Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2007. They are believed to communicate with ancestral spirits who guide their healing practices.
Community members involved in the search said the clothing found was spattered with blood, and a knife was also discovered nearby. Police have not provided further details about the evidence.
Western Cape province police commissioner Thembisile Patekile told reporters during the trial that additional arrests could be made but emphasized the need to refocus efforts on finding Joshlin.
“At this stage, we do not have a child,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to find the child. We still want to find that child alive.”
Smith’s youngest child now lives with his father.
Last year, 632 children were reported missing in South Africa, with nearly 9,000 cases recorded over the past decade, according to local news reports.
Bianca van Aswegen, a criminologist and national coordinator at Missing Children South Africa, told the BBC that child trafficking “is much more of a crisis than police stats actually show us,” due to many cases going unreported.
“I have never really seen a case blow up like this in South Africa before, and neither have we seen such a large-scale search for a missing child. I think social media played a big role, and we had political parties get involved in the case,” she added.
