SA POLICE COMMITTED TO FINDING JOSLIN SMITH

Mon 04 March 2024:

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has assured the community of Diazville in the Western Cape, where Joslin Smith went missing, that they remain committed to finding the six-year-old and reuniting her with her family.

Police Minister General Bheki Cele on Saturday met with the family of Joslin Smith, as well as the residents of the broader Saldanha community.

Joslin has been missing since 19 February 2024 and the search to locate her is ongoing.

Joslin Smith’s mother Kelly and stepdad Jacquin Appollis will undergo a lie detector test.
Images via YouTube screenshot: eNCA/ Facebook: Gayton Mckenzie

During the community meeting, Cele called for cool heads to prevail amid the finger-pointing and peddling of false information about the SAPS investigation into her disappearance.

“You are a community that has united through this trying time. Don’t allow those who are trying to get political mileage out of the disappearance of a little girl to divide you. Unite and work with the police to bring her back home.

“From the police side, I want to assure you that no resource will be spared to find her. The police have not withdrawn from this search and they are under a directive to work closer with anyone who comes up with any valuable information that can assist,” Cele said.

Both the parents of Joslin Smith met with Cele and the management of the SAPS. They were assured of the ongoing policing efforts to fast track Joslin’s safe return.

Search intensifies

It has been two weeks since the Grade 1 student, who was under the care of her mother’s boyfriend, vanished from her home in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape.

According to the local media, the search for Smith has become more intense in Saldanha, with an identified location in Diazville being divided into zones as part of the coordination effort.

Police claimed that a huge group from the City of Cape Town also moved to the area on Monday, and that a contingent from the nearby South African Navy had also boosted the search party.

Additionally, garment pieces allegedly belonging to Smith contain bloodstains discovered by Western Cape police.

It’s understood that on Saturday night, bloodstained clothing was discovered in an open field.

“Items found during a search over the weekend have been sent to the Plattekloof forensic laboratory for analysis as part of the investigation,” Spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said.

with SAnews

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