Joslin Smith: Police Dig Under Burnt Middelpos Home After Rumours That Missing Child Is Buried There

• Police dug up the area under Kelly Smith’s home in Middelpos after rumours that Joslin may be buried there
• Police searched the area after the home was burnt down on Friday, 2 May 2025, after the verdict was delivered
• Community members said they were worried the premises would become a drug den if it were allowed to remain

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WESTERN CAPE – A verdict may have been handed down in the Joslin Smith trial, but the search continues for the little girl.

Police continue to follow up on various leads and rumours as they attempt to find the missing Saldanha Bay girl who was last seen on 19 February 2024.

One of those rumours led police to dig up the area where Kelly Smith’s home once stood on Sunday, 4 May 2025. The home was burnt to the ground after Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn were found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking on 2 May 2025.

Police investigate claims Joslin was buried under shack

Following up on information that Joslin may be buried under the shack where she lived in Middelpos, the provincial police spokesperson confirmed that they did follow up on the claims. Rumours have been circulating since Joslin disappeared that she may have been killed and buried under the home.

Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie stated that local detectives and workers from the Saldanha Bay Municipality dug up the spot, but didn’t find anything.

“No new leads or clues could be obtained,” Pojie said.

Woman appears in court for arson

Police also confirmed that one woman was arrested for burning down the house, and has since appeared in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court.

Monique Kekana was arrested after Kelly’s home was set alight and remains behind bars until her next appearance on 12 May.

Community members who spoke to IOL claimed that they were worried the home was being used as a drug den, and so it was dangerous if it stood there empty.

Some residents also said they would have still been wondering if Joslin’s remains were buried there if the structure hadn’t been burned down.

Police confirmed that evidence and forensic analysis pertaining to the case were obtained from the home at the beginning stages of the investigation, and so the blaze didn’t hamper anything.

What you need to know about the Joslin Smith trial

• Lourencia Lombaard testified that a sangoma wanted Joslin for her eyes and skin.
• Advocate Rinesh Sivnarain accused Lombaard of being the mastermind behind Joslin’s disappearance.
• Gayton McKenzie accused the Saldanha Bay Mayor of being involved in Joslin Smith’s disappearance.
• Appollis detailed how police allegedly tortured him while he was at the Sea Border offices.
• One of the defence lawyers alleged that police told van Rhyn and Appollis what to say in their statements.
• Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled that statements made by Appollis and van Rhyn may be admitted as evidence.
• Kelly and her two co-accused were found guilty of human trafficking and kidnapping.

Kelly Smith’s Middelpos home burnt

Briefly News reported that Kelly’s home in Saldanha Bay was set alight on Friday, 2 May 2025.

The home in Middelpos was burnt hours after Kelly and co-accused were found guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking.

A video of the fire went viral on social media, and one woman was arrested in connection with the blaze.

Source: Briefly News