Joslin Smith: Witness Says Kelly Was Not at Her House When Joslin Disappeared, CCTV Evidence Shows

Joslin Smith: Witness Says Kelly Was Not at Her House When Joslin Disappeared, CCTV Evidence Shows

  • The drama in Joslin Smith's disappearance trial intensified on the seventh day of the trial
  • Kelly Smith, her lover Jacquin Appollis and their friend Stevano van Rhyn are on trial and are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking
  • A witness claimed that Kelly was not at her house despite claiming that she was there, and CCTV footage reportedly refuted her alibi

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

One of the witnesses alleged that Kelly was not at her house where she claimed she was when Joslin disappeared
Kelly's alibi is under the microscope. Image: Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

SALDANHA BAY, WESTERN CAPE — The testimony a witness provided at the seventh day of Joslin Smith's disappearance trial on 11 March 2025 cast doubt on Kelly Smith's alibi. A woman said that Kelly was not where she claimed she was.

What did the witness say about Kelly's alibi?

Joslin's trial entered the second week after it began on 3 March. Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin "Boeta" Appollis and their mate Stevano van Rhyn are facing human trafficking and kidnapping charges. They all pleaded not guilty to being involved in her disappearance. The trial is being held at the white City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay.

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Kelly Zeegers, the daughter of Carlien Zeegers, testified. Carlien testified on 10 March and said that Kelly was a good mother to Joslin and her other child. However, Kelly Zeegers seemingly blew Kelly Smith's testimony outside of the water.

Was Kelly at the Zeegers' house?

The court heard that Smith told the police that on the day Joslin disappeared, she was working at the Zeeger home, where she occasionally does domestic work. Zeegers said that the South African Polive Service asked her to review the CCTV footage of the day. Zeeger found footage showing that Smith was at her home.

Zeeger said she checked four hours' worth of footage and checked footage from the previous day, but she did not appear. She said Smith called her the day Joslin disappeared and asked if she was at a spaza shop near the Zeeger house. Zeegers then later called for updates.

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A witness questioned Kelly's alibi at the Joslin Smith trial
Kelly's alibi was questioned. Image: Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

What you need to know about Joslin Smith

SA hopeful for the truth

South Africans commenting on IOL's Facebook page believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Tina Van Winkel said:

"Sothe cookie crumbles. Please let there be justice for Joslin."

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Nolan RE said:

"I can't believe that some people still have a soft spot for Kelly. She's putting us all through hell instead of just telling the truth and nothing but the truth."

Juleen Geland-Muller said:

"The truth is gonna come out."

Sharon Brown said:

"The puzzle is slowly coming together."

Mphoza Mhlola said:

"Oh Lord, give this woman the strength to tell the truth."

Kelly Smith breaks down in court

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Kelly Smith cried in court when Carlien Zeegers gave her testimony. Zeegers was Kelly's former employee, who helped her on occasion with food.

Zeekergs said Kelly was a good mother and had a great relationship with her children. Upon hearing the testimony, Kelly wept.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is the Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk and a current affairs writer at Briefly News. With a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON, he has a strong background in digital journalism, having completed training with the Google News Initiative. He began his career as a journalist at Daily Sun, where he worked for four years before becoming a sub-editor and journalist at Capricorn Post. He then joined Vutivi Business News in 2020 before moving to Briefly News in 2023.