Joslin Smith Trial: Sister Claims Kelly Smith Enjoyed Attention from Gayton McKenzie
- Mickeyla Daniels testified that Kelly Smith enjoyed the attention she received from Gayton McKenzie
- Daniels, the sister to Kelly and aunt to Joslin, made the statement on 17 March 2025 during the ongoing trial
- Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, financially assisted the family following Joslin’s disappearance on 19 February 2024
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE – During the trial into the disappearance of Joslin Smith, her mother Kelly has been portrayed as a person who enjoyed the limelight she received after her daughter went missing.
The little girl went missing on 19 February 2024 from her Middlepos home, with Kelly Smith, Jacquin Appollis and Steveno Van Rhyn arrested in connection with the disappearance.
Kelly’s sister, Mickeyla Daniels further painted the image of Kelly enjoying the attention during her testimony on 17 March at the Saldanha Bay Multipurpose Centre.
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Daniels, who is Joslin’s aunt, noted that Kelly was thrilled to have Gayton McKenzie so invested in the case.
Daniels claims Kelly was happy with McKenzie’s financial assistance
During her testimony, Daniels claimed that her sister was more interested in talking about the Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader than she was about Joslin.
The now Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture was heavily involved in the case from the beginning, even financially assisting the family.
The PA leader first met Kelly and her other children at a local Spur where he bought them food. Later, he bought them clothing and groceries. He even gave her a chance to share her side of the story in a Facebook Live video at the Spur. You can watch that interview here.
It was McKenzie’s interest and assistance that Kelly liked, her sister claimed. Daniels testified that Kelly soon became happy and laughing after Gayton began financially assisting her.
“The more I asked her about Joslin, the more she told me about Gayton. She was happy,” Daniels testified.
Source: Twitter
What you need to know about the Joslin Smith trial
- Kelly admitted to smoking drugs on the day Joslin Smith disappeared from Middelpos.
- Witness claims that Kelly Smith told him that people wanted to buy her children, she asked for R20,000.
- Shakeera Ganief testified that Kelly was enjoying the attention she received in the weeks after Joslin disappeared.
- Joslin's Grade 1 teacher said Kelly told her Joslin was on a boat on her way to West Africa.
- Lourentia Lombaard testifies that the sangoma wanted Joslin for her eyes and skin.
- Mickeyla Davids claims Kelly told her where Joslin was days after her disappearance.
McKenzie's involvement in the Joslin Smith disappearance
McKenzie has been close to the case since the beginning, with his party, Patriotic Alliance, privately funding a large-scale effort to find Joslin.
In later reports, which emerged as the case developed following the suspects' arrests and became public in early March 2024, van Rhyn claimed that McKenzie transported him to the police station.
The detail has since been brought up during the court proceedings. In terms of public pressure on Kelly to reveal what happened to Joslin, McKenzie urged her to "confess" and put an end to the mystery.
McKenzie, who has been involved in the community search efforts, has made public statements regarding the police's efforts and the investigation's progression.
Notably, during this time, the minister offered a reward for information, while committing his ministerial salary towards a Joslin Smith Foundation.
Despite Kelly's silence amid suspicions of her complicity, there were reports that he provided some support in the form of groceries and clothing, despite her silence on Joslin's whereabouts.
Old video surfaces of McKenzie claiming Kelly is guilty
Briefly News previously reported that an old video of McKenzie talking about the Joslin Smith disappearance resurfaced.
The video showed the PA leader conducting an interview where he said he believed Kelly was guilty.
McKenzie was heavily involved in efforts to find Joslin, even offering a reward of R1 million.
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Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
Byron Pillay (Current Affairs Editor) Byron Pillay is a Current Affairs Editor at Briefly News. He received a Diploma in Journalism from the Caxton Cadet School. He spent 15 years covering politics, crime and current affairs. He was also the Head of Department for Sports Brief, where he covered both local and international sporting news. Email: byron.pillay@briefly.co.za
Roxanne Dos Ramos (Proofreader) Roxanne Dos Ramos is a copy editor who began her career in financial information before transitioning into media. She holds an MSc in Geology from the University of Stellenbosch (2017). She has worked in editorial and language services teams at leading organizations such as Fitch Solutions, AlphaSights, and Cadence. With years of experience in quality control and team coordination, she specializes in content refinement, SEO implementation, and editorial management. Roxanne joined Briefly News in 2024 and has over five years of editorial experience. Email: roxanne.dos.ramos@briefly.co.za
