The house where six-year-old Joshlin Smith went missing earlier this year has been completely destroyed in a fire.
Authorities confirm Joshlin Smith house was burned down
According to Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie, an arson case has been opened and one woman has been taken in for questioning.
This incident happened just hours after the Western Cape High Court convicted Joshlin’s mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her partner Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn of human trafficking and kidnapping.
Local councillor Veronique Pretorius confirmed the house was burned down, stating that tensions in the community have been high since the trial.
“People in the area are obviously upset that Joshlin was trafficked,” Pretorius said.
Although a formal statement has not yet been received from Mayor Andre Traut, police remain on-site and investigations are continuing.
What happened in the Joshlin Smith trial today?
The Western Cape High Court, sitting in Saldanha Bay, found all three accused guilty of trafficking and kidnapping Joshlin Smith. Judge Nathan Erasmus spent over two hours delivering a detailed judgment, outlining how the evidence aligned with South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons (PACO-TIP) Act.
The judge explained that when the victim is a child, the State does not need to prove how the child was moved or what means were used—only that the child was treated like a commodity and sold.
“By treating a child as a commodity that can be sold, it falls within [the law’s] definition [of trafficking],” Judge Erasmus said in his ruling.
The court accepted the testimony of state witnesses, including Lourentia Lombaard, who turned state witness under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act. She described a plan to sell Joshlin.
Evangelist Nico Coetzee also testified, recounting a conversation with Kelly Smith about an upcoming event in Diazville that would be “like a movie scene.”
The judge found that the accused gave inconsistent stories and showed no genuine concern for the missing child.
He dismissed the claim by Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn that their confessions were made under torture, calling their version “so bad, nobody can believe it.”
All three were convicted on both counts: trafficking and kidnapping.
What happens next?
The trial now moves into the sentencing phase, with a court date scheduled for 9 May 2025, where the state and defence will make submissions on the way forward. The court has requested victim impact statements and will allow the defence to present arguments if they wish to reduce the sentences.
Under the PACO-TIP Act, trafficking a child can result in a life sentence. Kidnapping charges involving minors also carry long prison terms. While Kelly Smith has no prior convictions, Appollis and van Rhyn have criminal records.
Whether Lombaard will receive full immunity from prosecution has yet to be determined.
Joshlin Smith remains missing.
