The seventh day of proceedings in the ongoing trial concerning the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith brought further insight into the timeline of events and explored the circumstances surrounding Kelly Smith’s family life.
Joshlin Smith trial today: Here’s a breakdown of what happened
Two individuals took the stand to provide their accounts: Kelly Zeegers, the daughter of a previous state witness Carlien Zeegers, who offered a chronological overview of her interactions with Kelly Smith around 19 and 20 February 2024, and social worker Seliziwe Mbambo, who testified about past cases involving the family’s welfare and her renewed involvement after Joshlin went missing.
Kelly Zeegers expands on the search timeline
In her testimony, “Kelly” Zeegers recounted specific details from 19 February 2024.
She stated that she had left for work around 07:00 and returned later that day, eventually heading to her mother’s home, where she found Kelly Smith with her youngest daughter, Rochelle.
Zeegers described receiving a phone call from Kelly shortly before 20:00 that evening, during which Kelly mentioned wanting to search a house belonging to someone referred to as “Mr Ali,” identified as Natasha Andrews’ father.
From her vantage point on the stoep, Zeegers observed that no one appeared to be at home.
Later that night, Kelly contacted Zeegers again to say she had heard a rumour that two men were spotted walking with Joshlin toward some bushes.
They continued discussing the matter until loadshedding approached, with Kelly indicating she planned to confront one of the men rumoured to have taken Joshlin.
Zeegers said that around midnight, she heard Kelly outside calling for her daughter. Kelly arrived with a man nicknamed Markel (or “Young Kop”), requesting a light.
When Zeegers asked about Jacquen’s absence, Kelly responded that he was searching elsewhere in Diazville.
Zeegers testified that Kelly had asked her for R200 earlier that day, explaining it was needed for gas.
Zeegers refused, referencing a prior sum of R500 given recently. She also noted that her mother, Mrs Carlien Zeegers, had already provided Kelly with two separate amounts—R50 and R150—earlier in the afternoon.
Zeegers proceeded to detail events on 20 February 2024, beginning with a phone call around 06:00, during which Kelly said both she and Jacquen were still asleep.
Hoping to prompt more active searching, Zeegers suggested they look in a nearby farm area. Kelly arrived at Zeegers’ home with her two children, and Zeegers recommended leaving the children in her mother’s care while she took Kelly to the police station.
Zeegers learned from police officers that they considered Jacquen a primary suspect since Joshlin had supposedly been left in his care.
She noted that Kelly stayed overnight at her home, refusing to sleep alone and resting on a mattress placed in Zeegers’ main bedroom. Later that evening, a female officer arrived with activists asking Kelly questions.
Zeegers observed that Kelly seemed uncooperative and nauseous. Zeegers assisted her to the bathroom, then resumed communicating with different search teams in the Middelbos area.
On 21 February, she took leave from work to accompany Kelly once more to the police station.
Zeegers recalled urging Kelly to disclose any information she might be withholding, pointing out that Kelly’s calm demeanour seemed at odds with her daughter’s disappearance.
Kelly suggested that she believed Joshlin might be in Marikana, a township where she had previously lived, but no evidence emerged from that possibility.
Zeegers concluded her testimony by explaining that, on 6 March 2024, police requested her security camera footage from 19 February. The recordings showed only Zeegers and her children at home, with no sign of Kelly arriving there during the morning or early afternoon.
In her plea statement, Kelly indicated that she had gone to clean Zeegers’s house between approximately 10:00 and 14:00 that day. This claim was further corroborated by Mrs Carlien Zeegers, who testified on Monday, that Kelly had spent the morning at her residence on 19 February, arriving at around 07:00 — a rare occurrence that she had addressed.
Mrs Zeegers also testified that after giving Kelly R50 that morning — to apparently purchase bread for the kids — she had returned to pick up keys to her daughter’s house, where she believed she spent that late morning to early afternoon cleaning, as expected.
Except, after watching the security footage from that day on more than one occasion, Kelly Zeegers confirmed that no other person appeared but she and her children.
So, where was Kelly between 10:00 and 14:00 that day?
Kelly Zeegers also mentioned that in one of her last interactions with Kelly Smith, she hinted at a feeling gnawing at her that Joshlin could be in Malmesbury, but the witness said nothing came of that lead either.
Social worker’s background on Kelly Smith’s family situation
The second witness, social worker Seliziwe Mbambo from the Department of Social Development, provided a procedural history of Kelly’s interactions with social services, starting with a file opened in February 2016.
According to the records Mbambo reviewed, Kelly’s grandmother in Northern Cape had reported concerns about child neglect and potential threats of violence toward the child and herself.
Kelly had allegedly threatened to stab a young Racquen and harm her grandmother.
That file was eventually closed in January 2018.
Mbambo mentioned that Kelly had stayed in a shelter in 2018 after reporting domestic abuse from her relationship with Josh Amke, Joshlin’s biological father.
By the time the trial began, Mbambo had not been directly involved with the case until she was notified of Joshlin’s disappearance on 20 February 2024.
Mbambo explained that, while the State initially sought to introduce more details from Kelly’s social work records, the judge disallowed portions of her testimony because the defence had not yet received the relevant documentation.
After lunch, the court permitted Mbambo to continue limited testimony. She explained that she met Kelly at Mrs Zeegers’ home on 20 February.
Kelly allegedly seemed distressed and reported that she had last smoked “tik” on 19 February. Mbambo also verified that Kelly drew social grants for two of her children but lacked documents to secure one for her youngest daughter.
From 26 February onward, Mbambo tried coordinating safe-shelter arrangements for Kelly, who expressed fear of retaliation by the community.
According to Mbambo, Kelly was at times reluctant to accept shelter rules, citing her desire to remain active in the search for her missing child.
Mbambo recalled that Kelly ultimately placed her two-year-old daughter with Josh Amke.
Court documents then showed that the social worker was tasked with investigating family placement solutions for Kelly’s children, culminating in a children’s court order on 15 March 2024.
It was found that the children had been exposed to drug-related issues and domestic disputes at home. Mbambo stated that one of Kelly’s sons was placed in foster care, while other arrangements were still under review.
A sudden interruption occurred when Joshlin’s biological father collapsed in the courtroom, momentarily halting the session. After proceedings resumed, Mbambo testified that Kelly’s final stance involved continuing her participation in the children’s court evaluations, though further clarity might be needed when more documents become available.
The day ended with an understanding that Mbambo would return on Wednesday for cross-examination.