Prosecutors remain hopeful in Joshlin Smith case despite life sentences for kidnappers
State prosecutors in the high-profile kidnapping and trafficking case of six-year-old Joshlin Smith say they remain hopeful the child will still be found, despite the conviction and sentencing of the three individuals held responsible for her disappearance.
Just over a week ago, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis, and Steveno Van Rhyn were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Western Cape High Court for their roles in the abduction and trafficking of Joshlin, who was reported missing on February 19, 2024.
The little girl has not been seen since that day, and her disappearance continues to haunt both investigators and the wider South African public. Prosecutors Advocate Zelda Swanepoel and Advocate Aradhana Heeramun led the state's case in the matter. Speaking to the media following the sentencing, both prosecutors described the outcome as bittersweet, saying justice had been served in part, but that the fight was far from over.
'We are still hopeful that something will break and we can solve this case by finding Joshlin,' said Heeramun. 'Every single lead is followed up. At no stage did we say this is a cold case. It is still a very active and live investigation.'
Despite the court's decision bringing a degree of legal closure to a year-long investigation, Swanepoel emphasised that the most important part of the case remains unresolved: finding Joshlin.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
33 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Hefty sentence for Mpumalanga man who killed girlfriend in front of their children
Hefty sentence for Mpumalanga man who killed girlfriend in front of their children The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court on Wednesday sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his girlfriend. According to Highvelder, the crime, fuelled by accusations of cheating, unfolded in the presence of their two minor children, aged three and six. The man, who lived with his girlfriend and their children in eMvelo (previously Amsterdam), pleaded guilty and was convicted of premeditated murder. The incident occurred on June 6, 2024. The court heard that they were at home when the girlfriend received a phone call from an unknown person. After the call, he questioned her about the caller. Unsatisfied with her response and suspecting an affair, an argument broke out and escalated into violence. He then fatally stabbed her in the neck with a knife. The victim died instantly, and the accused was arrested two days later. 'In aggravation of the sentence, state Adv Kedibone Mthimkhulu argued that the accused's plea was a mitigating factor, emphasising the brutality of slitting the throat of the deceased as inhumane,' says NPA provincial spokesperson Monica Nyuswa. The court was presented with a post-mortem report confirming the woman died from an anterior neck wound and a photo album showing the grim crime scene. Mthimkhulu also submitted a victim impact statement compiled by the deceased's daughter describing the financial, psychological and emotional trauma she has suffered since her mother's death. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Kenny Kunene still deputy president of Patriotic Alliance
Kunene resigned as a councillor in the City of Johannesburg over the weekend. The Patriotic Alliance (PA) says Kenny Kunene is still the deputy president of the party despite being suspended. Kunene resigned as a councillor in the City of Johannesburg, effective immediately, on Saturday. His resignation comes after the PA deputy leader was seen at the home of Katiso 'KT' Molefe, who has been arrested in connection with the murder of popular South African DJ Oupa John Sefoka, known as DJ Sumbody. PA position His presence at the scene raised eyebrows, prompting PA leader Gayton McKenzie to suspend him pending an investigation. PA spokesperson Steve Motale told The Citizen on Monday, Kunene retains his position in the party. 'Kenny Kunene remains Deputy President of the PA,' said Motale. ALSO READ: Joburg council has 'no jurisdiction over Kenny Kunene, it's a police matter,' Morero says [VIDEO] 'Police matter' Over the weekend, the City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero claimed the City of Joburg council no longer has jurisdiction over the former transport MMC now that he has resigned, and that it has become a 'police matter.' 'Council works quite differently. He has resigned as a counsellor, meaning he's no longer part of the council, and the council, therefore, does not have jurisdiction over him in terms of our own code of conduct as councillors. 'It's a matter for the police and his party to investigate the matter of his being in the place of the guy who is alleged to have been involved in criminal activity. So it's not our matter, it's a police matter, and it's a matter of the party. He has given us a resignation, so the council has therefore officially released him as a councillor,' Morero said. 'Allegations unfounded' Kunene claims he was at Molefe's house to facilitate a meeting for a journalist from his online publication, Africa Global News, for a 'potential exclusive story'. Kunene insisted the allegations against him were 'unfounded' and said he is proud of the contributions he made during his time as councillor and MMC. DJ Sumbody was killed in Woodmead, Johannesburg, in a hail of bullets in the early hours of Sunday, 20 November 2022. ALSO READ: McKenzie suspends Kunene amid DJ Sumbody murder probe [VIDEO]
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
DJ Sumbody's murder exposes connection between crime and power
'The whole issue of killings of whistleblowers and assassinations generally is massively interlinked with procurement corruption.' DJ Sumbody at the Crypto Knight on 22 July 2022 in Midrand. Picture: Gallo Images/Oupa Bopape On a quiet November night in 2022, DJ Sumbody – a rising star in South Africa's music scene — was gunned down in a hail of bullets while heading home. Then, in April 2024, engineer Armand Swart was executed in a similar shooting after his company flagged a suspicious government tender in which prices had been inflated by over 4,500 percent. But dramatic arrests this week are tying those murders and many more together, exposing a murky underworld where criminals consort with political bigwigs for lucrative state tenders. The arrests came after explosive allegations by a senior police chief who accused the force and South Africa's police minister of a cover-up. ALSO READ: Malema accuses Kunene of lying about relationship with man accused of murdering DJ Sumbody Deep-rooted procurement corruption has seeped through every level of government for decades, security researcher David Bruce told AFP. 'The whole issue of killings of whistleblowers and assassinations generally is massively interlinked with that issue,' said Bruce, a consultant with the Institute for Security Studies. DJ Sumbody arrests Among those arrested this week are a former Johannesburg police officer at the time of DJ Sumbody's murder, as well as the prime suspect, a businessman named Katiso Molefe. British media have reported that a South African man of the same name and age as Molefe was sentenced to four years in prison in the United Kingdom in 2003 for drug trafficking. Two other men, already in custody for the 2023 attempted murder of former reality TV star turned influencer Tebogo Thobejane, are also believed to have played a role. It doesn't end there. ALSO READ: Firearms used in DJ Sumbody's murder linked to 10 other high-profile cases During the raid on Monday, police found prominent Johannesburg politician, Kenny Kunene, at Molefe's home. Kunene, a Johannesburg city council member, has since been suspended by his party leader, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, though police have not formally implicated him. Kunene denied any wrongdoing, saying he was merely trying to assist a journalist seeking to interview Molefe. 'Tenderpreneurs' At the centre of the widening web is businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, described locally as a 'tenderpreneur', a term referring to individuals who have made fortunes through government contracts. Also, the head of a private security firm, Matlala, was arrested in May in connection with the 2023 attempt on his ex-partner Thobejane's life. Thobejane, famous for her role in the long-running local soap opera Muvhango, denied having 'snitched' on Matlala earlier this month. 'I am a victim,' she told News24. In 2024, Matlala secured a $20 million contract with the national police — now cancelled — despite being implicated in a $125 million public hospital embezzlement scandal. ALSO READ: DJ Sumbody's family welcomes arrests of suspects, thank police The Tembisa hospital case cost whistleblower Babita Deokaran her life in 2021, when she was shot nine times outside her home. No arrests have been made in Deokaran's killing, reflecting the impunity that reigns, with only 11 percent of murders solved, according to 2024 police statistics. 'All these three cases are linked somehow,' police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said, referring to DJ Sumbody, Swart and Thobejane. Four weapons, including the AK-47 rifle used to kill DJ Sumbody, have been linked through ballistics to at least 10 high-profile cases, she added. Police minister accused The implications run deep. KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi last month accused colleagues and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of burying investigations targeting Matlala. In a bombshell televised press conference, flanked by armed security forces, Mkhwanazi alleged Mchunu had received payments from a corruption suspect and accused prosecutors of delaying justice. 'We do hope that pretty soon we might find some changes with good dedicated prosecutors and we might see arrests happening,' he said, adding that cases of murdered artists would finally 'come to the fore'. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since suspended Mchunu and announced a judicial inquiry into the allegations. But there has been no tangible action. ALSO READ: DJ Sumbody's friend, DJ Vettys in a 'stable condition' says manager, after being shot South Africa faces one of the world's highest murder rates, averaging more than 75 killings a day. Politically motivated contract killings have surged 108 percent over the past decade, according to a 2024 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. Studies show hiring a contract killer can cost as little as $145 in a country all too accustomed to violence. 'It's easier to silence someone with a bullet than contend with an investigation,' said Chad Thomas, head of private investigation company IRS Forensic.
