Joslin Smith: NPA Prosecutor Opens Up After Kelly, Jacquin Appollis, and Steveno Van Rhyn Sentenced

• The National Prosecuting Authority expressed hope that Joslin Smith is still alive, more than a year after she disappeared
• Josln's mother, Kelly, her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, and their associate, Steveno Van Rhyn, were sentenced to life imprisonment after they were found guilty of trafficking and kidnapping
• NPA prosecutor Zelda Swanepoel shared her experience of prosecuting the trip and said she believed Joslin is still alive

With 10 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.

WESTERN CAPE — Zelda Swanepoel, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prosecutor who prosecuted Joslin Smith's mother, Kelly, her lover, Jacquin Appollis, and their associate Steveno Van Rhyn, opened up after the trio were sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping and trafficking Joslin.

What did Zelda Swanepoel say?

According to The South African, Swanepoel spoke in a webinar where she shared her experience as part of the state's team, which secured life sentences and guilty verdicts for Van Rhyn, Appollis, and Smith. Their trial happened at the Western Cape High Court's sitting in Saldanha Bay, over a year after Joslin went missing.

Swanpoel said that the NPA believed that Joslin was alive. Swanepoel added that no positive DNA results were found on all of the samples, including bones and clothing found in Saldanha Bay, that matched Joslin's.

Hoping for Kelly's confession

Swanepoel also said that the state hoped that Kelly might testify in the first trial, where the missing child was not found. However, when Kelly elected to remain silent and not testify, the NPA was disappointed.

Joslin Smith: from missing case to 3 convictions

Joslin Smith went missing in February 2024 from her home in the Middlepos informal Settlement in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape. Her mother and her two accomplices were arrested a month later and detained on charges of kidnapping and trafficking.

The trial began on 3 March 2025, a year and one month after they were arrested. Smith, Van Rhyn, and Appollis pleaded not guilty to the charges. The state relied on the testimony of Lourentia Lombaard. Lombaard was initially arrested in 2024 but became the state's witness.

Lombaard testified that Kelly sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20,000, who wanted her for her eyes and skin. Van Rhyn and Appollis were unable to prove that their confessions had been coerced. The accused elected not to testify, and presiding judge Nathan Erasmus found them guilty.

What you need to know about Joslin Smith's trial

• A social worker branded Van Rhyn, who has been incarcerated multiple times, a menace to society when she testified in court on 27 May
• The South African Police Service said that it is working with Interpol to continue searching for Joslin Smith
• Smith, Appollis, and Van Rhyn have filed applications to appeal their convictions and sentencing
• Joslin's father, Jose Emke, said that he would not be happy until he sees Joslin's face once again

Joslin's grandmother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, said that the family is not coping with her disappearance

Gayton McKenzie believes Kelly will confess

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, Gayton McKenzie, believes that Kelly will confess. He spoke after she and her two co-accused were sentenced.

McKenzie said in a Facebook live that he believes that Smith will confess. He said that he had spent a long time in prison and said that the prison conditions could compel her to confess.

Source: Briefly News