Joslin Smith: Uncle Makes Plea for Case To Focus on Joslin and Not His Siblings’ Looks

Joslin Smith: Uncle Makes Plea for Case To Focus on Joslin and Not His Siblings’ Looks

  • A man allegedly identified as Kelly Smith's brother wrote a social media post which has since been deleted
  • In the post, he distanced himself from the case and said the focus should not be on his sister and his siblings
  • This was after the court heard that Kelly was raised in different circumstances to her other siblings, who were raised in the Northern Cape

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.

Kelly Smith's brother distanced himself and his family from Kelly
Joslin Smith's uncle asked social media not to judge his family because of Kelly. Image: @Judaeda3
Source: Twitter

SALDANHA BAY, WESTERN CAPE — Kelly Smith's alleged brother distanced himself from the case and urged the public to focus more on the case than comparing Kelly to her sister, Mickeyla Davids. This was after Davids testified during the Joslin Smith disappearance trial.

What did the brother say?

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Joslin Smith Trial: Lourentia Lombaard cracks under cross-examination and seemingly changes story

According to IOL, the brother, identified as Mnr Daniels, shared in a now-deleted Facebook post that the focus should not be on comparing the two sisters' looks. Social media users had been drawing comparisons between the two sisters' looks after Davids took the stand on 17 March 2025 at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape.

He also slammed Kelly's mothering skills and called her a bad mother. Mnr Daniels said Kelly did not deserve to be a mother, and said the public should not judge his family based on Kelly's actions.

How did Kelly grow up?

The court heard that Kelly was raised in Saldanha Bay, while her other siblings were raised in the Northern Cape. Mnr Daniels explained that their mother was not financially stable when she had Kelly, the eldest sister, so her parents assisted her. She then met Mnr Daniels and Mickeyla's father and they improved their lives. However, Kelly struggled with drug use, despite reportedly being a bright student in school.

Read also

Mickeyla Daniels claims Kelly Smith enjoyed Gayton McKenzie's help, spoke more about him than Joslin

He remarked that there are dangerous people who are connected to the case, and Kelly and the family did not speak up because of the impact it may have on the case.

"We are fully aware of the potential judgment we might face, and it has become exhausting," he said.
Kelly Smith's sister Mickeyla Davids grew up in Northern Cape
Mickeyla Davids grew up differently from Kelly Smith. Image:Newzroom Afrika
Source: Youtube

What happened to Joslin Smith?

Joslin Smith disappeared from her home in Diazville, Saldanha Bay in February last year. Her mother, at that time, denied that she was involved in her daughter's disappearance. However, a month after Joslin vanished, Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn and Lourentia Lombaard were arrested. The state provisionally withdrew Lombaard's case when she turned state witness. Van Rhyn, Appollis and Smith are facing charges of kidnapping and trafficking, to which they have pleaded not guilty.

What you need to know about Joslin Smith's case

Read also

Joslin Smith: Lourentia Lombaard said Kelly was allegedly paid to keep quiet about selling Joslin

Kelly's sister says Joslin was still in Saldanha Bay

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Davids testified that Kelly knew where Joslin was seven days after her disappearance. She said Kelly told her Joslin was in Saldanha Bay.

Davids, a South African Police Service officer, said she spoke to Kelly who told her that Joslin was still in the area when she was reported missing.

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

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is a Current Affairs Editor at Briefly News. He has a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON. He joined Daily Sun, where he worked for 4 years covering politics, crime, entertainment, current affairs, policy, governance and art. He was also a sub-editor and journalist for Capricorn Post before joining Vutivi Business News in 2020, where he covered small business news policy and governance, analysis and profiles. He joined Briefly News in 2023. Tebogo passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative Email: tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za

Roxanne Dos Ramos avatar

Roxanne Dos Ramos (Proofreader)