Gayton McKenzie Denies Interfering in Search for Joslin Smith, Says Police Asked for His Assistance

• Gayton McKenzie denied that he interfered in investigations into the disappearance of Joslin Smith
• The investigation officer claimed that social media users, including McKenzie, hampered the case with their posts
• The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture said he only stepped in when police called off the search after six days

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 - Gayton McKenzie has denied that he ever interfered with the Joslin Smith investigations.

McKenzie was very active in the search for the little girl from Middlepos who went missing on 19 February 2024, but insists that he wasn’t interfering in the investigations.

McKenzie clarified his role in helping search for the Saldanha Bay girl after comments made by the investigating officer during the ongoing trial. Racquel "Kelly" Smith, her partner Jacquin "Boeta" Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn were arrested in connection with her disappearance and are currently on trial.

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Investigating officer says investigations hampered by McKenzie and others

During his testimony on 27 March 2025, Captain Wesley Lombard, the investigating officer in the case, noted how many social media users were doing live broadcasts and spreading their theories about the case. He added that some even spread misinformation that the search was called off because the police didn’t have enough resources.

Lombard then noted that during the early stages of the search, a video surfaced of the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture interviewing Steveno Van Rhyn. In the video, Van Rhyn said Joslin was sold to a sangoma and that Ayanda Litoni was part of the sale. Litoni is Lourencia Lombaard’s partner. The information led to community members targeting the couple and reportedly torturing them for three weeks.

The investigating officer noted that there were other instances where McKenzie and other social media users hampered the case with their utterances.

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“I heard about it as people were showing me videos. There were many people on TikTok, including McKenzie, who said the police didn't have enough resources,” he said.

He explained that this was untrue.

McKenzie denies interfering in investigations

During an interview with SABC News, McKenzie denied interfering with investigations, instead explaining how he helped.

The minister explained that he stepped in after the investigation was closed, and it was the police who asked for his help in locating Boeta and Kelly.

You can watch that interview below.

What you need to know about the trial

• Steveno van Rhyn, Jacquin Appollis and Kelly Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• Lourencia Lombaard claims Kelly confessed to selling Joslin to a sangoma for R20,000.
• Lombaard testified that Kelly confessed the sangoma wanted Joslin for her eyes and skin.
• Defence lawyer Fanie Harmse poked holes in Lombaard's testimony during cross-examination.
• Kelly Smith's lawyer accused Lombaard and Ayanda Letoni of being responsible for Joslin's disappearance.

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Joslin Smith trial proceedings postponed once more, Kelly Smith rushes out of court sick

Kelly Smith falls ill in court

Briefly News reported that proceedings had to be halted in the trial after Kelly Smith fell ill.

Kelly, who is Joslin’s mother, is one of the three people charged with her disappearance.

The case was adjourned for a while after Kelly rushed to a bathroom because she needed to vomit.

Source: Briefly News