Witness Testifies Kelly Smith Considered Selling Her Children, Said Joslin’s Mom First Wanted R20k

• Nico Steven Coetzee claimed that Kelly Smith told him that people wanted to buy her children
• The evangelist testified on 12 March 2025 that Kelly was willing to lower her price from R20,000
• Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn all face charges of kidnapping

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has spent a decade reporting on the South African political landscape, crime and social issues.

WESTERN CAPE – The Joslin Smith trial continues. Months before little Joslin Smith went missing, her mother Raquel “Kelly” Smith admitted that people were willing to buy her children.

That’s according to Nico Steven Coetzee, an evangelist and part-time handyman in the Saldanha Bay area.

Coetzee made the comment during his testimony on Wednesday, 12 March 2025, at the trial into the disappearance of the Middlepos youngster.

Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin "Boeta" Appollis, and friend Steveno "Steffie" van Rhyn are facing charges including kidnapping in relation to Joslin’s disappearance.

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Joslin Smith case: State witness details Kelly's disturbing behaviour after her daughter disappeared

Court hears that Kelly planned to sell her children

During his appearance in court, the evangelist claimed that Kelly told him that people were interested in buying her children.

Coetzee said that during a conversation in August 2023, Kelly stated that she was willing to lower her initial asking price of R20,000 to just R5,000.

Approximately six months later, Joslin, who was six years old at the time, went missing. The little girl was last seen on 19 February 2024.

Defence lawyer questions Coetzee’s statement

During cross examination, Kelly’s lawyer Rinesh Sivnarain questioned the accuracy of the timeline in some of Coetzee’s statement.

He also said that his client would testify that she never discussed selling her children. Coetzee replied that he had no reason to lie and falsely implicate any of the accused.

He added that he only mentioned the conversation to his wife after Joslin was reported missing. The court also heard that his statement was only recorded in September 2024, seven months after the disappearance. Judge Nathan Erasmus questioned why this was the case, but Coetzee explained that the police didn’t want written evidence when he first went to the station.

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Joslin Smith trial: teacher alleges that Joslin Smith is in West Africa, SA furious

"I had to be in a position to point out where the child was so they could immediately go and fetch her," he said.

How the Joslin Smith trial is progressing

• Lourentia Lombaard turned state witness in October 2024, a few months before the trial began.
• Kelly admitted that she was high on drugs on the day her daughter disappeared.
• A police officer who attended to the case doubted the truthfulness of the three suspects.
• Kelly's former employee stated that she was a good parent who had a good relationship with her children.
• Joslin’s Grade 1 teacher alleges that Kelly told her Joslin is in West Africa.

State witness says Kelly wanted to be famous

In a related article, Shakeera Ganief testified that Kelly Smith enjoyed the attention she received after Joslin disappeared.

Briefly News reported that the social media influencer testified that Joslin’s mother stated that her daughter made her famous.

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Joslin Smith trial: Joslin's father Jose Emke collapses in court during testimony

During her testimony on 12 March 2025, she also detailed how Kelly was defensive and rude when questioned about Joslin afterwards.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News