A heated spat has broken out over political interference in the investigation of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, after Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie admitted he had donated cash, bought a cellphone and paid hotel accommodation for her mother, Kelly Smith, who is now a key suspect in the criminal case.
He has been lambasted as being “morally corrupt” and trying to score “cheap political points”.
McKenzie has also been accused of interfering with the police’s work by running a parallel investigation into the case, a move he claims was prompted by police inefficiency.
Joshlin was reported missing on February 19 after being left in the care of Kelly’s boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis. She and two siblings lived with their mother, a part-time domestic worker, in a small shack in a Saldanha informal settlement, along with Appollis.
The search for the child is continuing. Kelly and Appollis, along with co-accused Steveno van Rhyn and Phumza Sigaqa appeared in the Vredenburg magistrate’s court this week, charged with kidnapping and human trafficking.
Senior political figures involved in the case yesterday accused McKenzie of seeking to hijack the Saldanha tragedy for political purposes.
And Missing Children South Africa’s Bianca van Aswegen said the hype and false information surrounding Joshlin’s disappearance had hampered the investigation.
“I’ve never seen a case like Joshlin’s case. There has been so much hype and false information and it took the attention away from Joshlin. It is terrible and has hampered the investigation ... I think this was because of social media and politicians getting involved. Is it because they want to get votes?”
ANC councillor Theresa Le Roux-Rossouw said the case had turned political with McKenzie’s interference, interviewing the “witnesses”, alleged suspects, the mother, and his “teams invading private homes, and searching without SAPS”.
“It turned political when he and others insinuated that SAPS had not done any work, dragged their feet and had not been involved.”
She said McKenzie’s support for Kelly, who initially was viewed as a victim in the tragedy, had backfired when she became one of four suspects in what is now considered a case of kidnapping and human trafficking.
“This same individual by his own hand admitted giving the mother money, paid for her hotel stay, took her to restaurants, took her shopping, et cetera according to himself to catch her out, yet anyone who read his updates and statuses will see that is conflicting to his initial responses.”
Le Roux-Rossouw said she was grateful for community assistance, but not when members took the law into their own hands.
Western Cape community safety and police oversight MEC Reagen Allen on Saturday said: “I remain deeply concerned by certain individuals who are using this tragic event to score cheap political points. The manner in which these individuals are conducting themselves is quite frankly being counterproductive. I regard those acting in this manner as morally corrupt and they should discontinue this practice.”
McKenzie dismissed the claims, saying: “This is absolute hogwash, the community loves me. Check Facebook, check which name they screamed when I wasn’t even at court. A simple scroll on any social media will tell you the truth about what the community thinks.”
He insisted his actions were purely motivated by concern for the community which he said was being ignored by the police until he got involved. He said he had been suspicious of Kelly from the outset and only paid her hotel accommodation for fear that she might run away.
“The moment I arrived she ran into my arms, this was day two, she also asked that we sit and talk in my vehicle for an hour or so.
“I knew within minutes that her story didn’t make sense. His [Appollis’s] story doesn’t make sense. I knew that they were involved. I figured the motive must be addiction, hence I asked her directly if she is a drug addict. She confessed to using drugs and also implicated him in drug use. I would normally never ask a mother who lost a child if she is a drug addict, but I knew she was involved.”
“We have not only given leads to the police, we have delivered each and every suspect that appeared in court to the police. With the info from the community we basically got them all. We suspected that the mother and boyfriend were planning to run away, I booked them in a hotel and had my whole security team guard them through the night. The next day the cops called us to ask if we can help find them, we told them that they are in room 10 at the hotel,” McKenzie said.
I knew within minutes that her story didn’t make sense. His [Appollis’s] story doesn’t make sense. I knew that they were involved. I figured the motive must be addiction, hence I asked her directly if she is a drug addict
— PA leader Gayton McKenzie
Saldanha Bay mayor André Truter on Saturday condemned how the case had been turned into a social media spectacle, to the detriment of policing.
Asked to comment on Mckenzie and the Patriotic Alliance, he said: “It is my opinion that what happened from the second week of the search onwards, on Facebook live, TikTok et cetera has not only brought division but has also violated human rights and interfered in the police investigation. It is even possible that vital information and/or evidence may have been contaminated or destroyed in the process. Investigations, following up of information, questioning of possible witnesses or suspects should best be left to SAPS. In fact, it is SAPS’ constitutional mandate and interfering is a criminal offence.”
Among McKenzie’s supporters is the Smiths’ neighbour, Marione Lewies. “If it weren’t for him getting involved in this case, it probably would’ve been dead long ago,” she said.
Bloodstained clothes believed to belong to Joshlin were found in an open field and taken to Plattekloof forensics lab in Cape Town for further investigation.
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