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.

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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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.

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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.

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

• A social worker revealed that Kelly threatened her grandmother and said she would stab her and her son in 2018.
• Kelly broke down when her ex-boss testified that she was a wonderful mother who had a good relationship with her children.
• Jose Emke, Joslin's father, collapsed during the proceedings when he heard the testimony from the social worker.
• Lombaard testified that Kelly sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20,000.
• She also testified that Kelly received hush money from someone to keep quiet about what had happened to Joslin.
• In March 2024, 15,000 people signed an online petition to deny bail to Joslin Smith's disappearance suspects.
• During a search for Joslin, bloodstained clothing was found in Diazville and linked to the missing six-year-old.
• On 28 February 2025, CCTV footage sparked hope that Joslin Smith was alive, though there were doubts over the claims.
• The court ordered an inspection in-loco at the Middelpos informal settlement, where the community berated the accused.

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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