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A man claiming to be Smith’s brother, Mnr Daniels, urged the public to turn their focus to Joshlin and beyond Kelly and her sister's looks.
Kelly Smith allegedly sold her child, Joshlin Smith, to a sangoma. Picture: Gallo Images
Social media has been ablaze since Mickeyla Daniels, sister of Kelly Smith, dropped a bombshell during her testimony before the Western Cape Circuit High Court in Saldanha on Monday.
Smith and two co-accused are currently on trial for the kidnapping and human trafficking of her daughter, who disappeared from the family’s home in Middelpos on 19 February 2024.
According to Daniels, Smith confided in her on 26 February that Joshlin was still in the informal settlement and that someone wanted to sell her child.
As the public dissected every aspect of Daniels’ testimony, attention also turned to the striking contrasts between the two sisters’ appearances, lifestyles, and choices. Daniels, a constable at the Public Order Policing (POP) unit in Upington, has been the topic of discussion for her sophisticated image.
The court heard there are five siblings, one of whom is deceased. Smith is the eldest but did not grow up with Daniels and their other two brothers. According to Daniels, she lived with her grandmother in Saldanha, while the other siblings were raised by their parents in Aggeneys, a small town in the Northern Cape.
ALSO READ: Joshlin’s aunt testifies: Kelly said someone wanted to sell her child
In a post that went viral on Facebook, a man claiming to be Smith’s younger brother spoke out. The Citizen has a screengrab of the original post, which has since been deleted.
The man, only identified as Mnr Daniels, wrote: “I see that my sister, Mickeyla, is trending, but please don’t ask me about it. The attention on my sister’s appearance or Kelly’s looks is misplaced. What truly matters is the case of young, innocent Joshlin and the circumstances of her disappearance.”
He continued to say that he was “genuinely saddened by what happened to Joshlin. It still hurts me to this day. What Kelly did to her is horrific. She does not deserve to be called a mother. However, I ask that you not judge me or my family for Kelly’s actions”.
Mnr Daniels then explained that his parents did not raise her and that she was brought up by his grandparents. “Kelly is the first child my mother had before meeting my father. At that time, my mother was financially unstable and unable to support her, so my grandparents stepped in.”
He said that Kelly was a bright student who graduated with excellent marks. “She had the potential to pursue higher education or secure a good job, but she chose a path involving drugs, which ultimately led her to her current state. After my mother met my father, they worked hard to improve their financial situation and offered Kelly help on multiple occasions to get her life back on track, but she refused it.”
According to Mnr Daniels, Kelly told their mother she would have children to spite her. “She returned to Saldanha, where she had Requin but continued to struggle with her drug habits. My family supported Requin financially. Whenever we visited, we would buy him gifts and clothes. Later, she had Joshlin, and my parents supported her as well. Unfortunately, Kelly didn’t stop using drugs.”
He said his parents wanted to take Kelly’s children in. However, as she is the biological mother, the decision was up to her. “We made several attempts to get Joshlin and Requin out of that harmful situation. So, don’t say we didn’t try or that we don’t care.”
Mnr Daniels’ post further stated that his parents eventually took Requin in. “He is now being raised in a loving environment, which shows a significant difference.”
He requested the public not to judge his family without knowing their story. “The reason we chose not to speak out was to keep ourselves safe [and] Requin’s whereabouts private. There are dangerous individuals connected to Kelly and this case, and we didn’t want to take any risks. So, I kindly ask you to try to understand our perspective,” he concluded.
NOW READ: Joshlin: Witness cross-examined, judge intervenes several times
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