‘Who did they call?’ – Gayton McKenzie on claims of interference in Joshlin Smith investigation

Minister of sports, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie has dismissed claims that he may have interfered in the investigation into Joshlin Smith’s disappearance.

Joshlin disappeared from the family’s home in Saldanha Bay on 19 February 2024.

Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and friend Stevano van Rhyn have since been arrested and charged with kidnapping and human trafficking.

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They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

‘False information’

State witness lead investigator Captain Wesley Lombard told the Western Cape High Court in Saldanha that the community was falsely informed that the investigation into Joshlin’s disappearance was called off just a few days after she was reported missing.

He said this made it difficult for the police to investigate the case. It also discouraged those who may have had information that could have assisted the police.

He singled out TikTok videos and some statements by McKenzie that could have negatively affected the investigation.

“The community was put under the false pretence that the police had stopped the search for Joshlin a few days after. That was not true. There was a lot of this misinformation on TikTok. They talked about how the police did not have the necessary resources. After the attitude of the community, things became very difficult. We could not get through to them and how they could assist us,” Lombard testified.

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“It was clear that the people could not realise the danger they could place Joshlin in. Because at that stage of the investigation, there was no evidence showing Joshlin was dead. The focus was to get Joshlin alive and people were going wild with this negative publicity.

“The negative publicity on TikTok made it difficult to build a relationship with community members who could have provided information.”

McKenzie: ‘The investigation was closed’

Speaking to te SABC on Friday, McKenzie said he only investigated Joshlin’s disappearance after police had reportedly called off their investigation.

McKenzie said he used his own resources to investigate. He was the one who found the suspects and took them to the police.

“Every five hours, a child gets lost in South Africa. Most of them don’t get found. I don’t know Joshlin. I have it on black and white and everybody has it where they said they closed the investigation for Joshlin after six days. That’s when I stepped in. The investigation was closed,” McKenzie told the SABC.

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“I stepped in and said I would pay with my own money for helicopters and sniffer dogs. All of a sudden, we’re looking for every suspect that you see in court today. We found those people, we took them to the police station.

“If they say I’m interfering, I have one question for them. When they were looking for Boeta and the mother, who did they call because they did not know where they were, they called me. My protector told them we booked them into a hotel and are guarding them so they don’t run away.”

‘Joshlin search ongoing’

Two weeks after Joshlin’s disappearance, then police minister Bheki Cele met with Joshlin’s family and the community members, telling them the search for the little girl was ongoing.

At the time, Cele called for calm and dismissed the false information about the police investigation into Joshlin’s disappearance.

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“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,” said Cele.

“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 closely with anyone who comes up with any valuable information that can assist.”