Missing Joshlin Smith’s aunt has accused her mother Kelly of knowing what happened to the six-year-old.
Mickyela Daniels, who is a police officer, took to TikTok on Tuesday where she claimed Kelly, 33, had told her that there was someone “who wanted to buy” Joshlin.
Tuesday in a live video on Facebook with Patriotic Alliance president Gayton Mckenzie, Kelly refuted this claim and said she is going for a lie detector test with her boyfriend Jacquin Appollis.
She also admitted to being a tikkop, but proudly announced that she has been “one week clean”.
The Grade 1 learner from Saldanha Bay disappeared from her home on Monday, 19 February, after she fell ill and was left in the care of Appollis. He claims he had been sleeping when the girl left their Middelpos home in Diazville.
Kelly told the detectives she was at work and when she returned home at around 5pm, her daughter and Appollis were nowhere to be found.
Kelly says: “People can say what they want but I know that my boyfriend had nothing to do with this. When I saw him on Tuesday, he was crying a lot. He’s innocent.”
The mom of three told Mckenzie that she can’t be part of the search anymore as she feels threatened.
She adds: “Some community members are unreasonable, they want to hurt me.
“I couldn’t sleep on Monday, I was at the police station the whole night, the police had to protect us.
“The community believes that I know something about my child’s disappearance. If people think that I’m guilty, then they’re making a big mistake. That is my child.”
But her sister Mickyela, who is a police officer in Springbok, is adamant that Kelly knows something.
In a TikTok video, the cop says: “I called you and asked where Joshlin was and you said there was someone who wanted to buy her from you. I think that Kelly knows what happened to Joshlin.”
Kelly told Mckenzie that she thinks her daughter may have been trafficked: “I think that as Joshlin was playing, some man or someone saw a beautiful target. It feels like human trafficking is involved.”
Meanwhile, as the investigation enters its ninth day, the police have decided to scale down the search.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie said: “The search for the six-year-old Joslin has been scaled down as no trace could be found despite the fact that all avenues and resources have been exhausted.
“The investigation team is still working around the clock to follow up on all information which is received from various sources.
“However, we want to urge the public to refrain from posting unfounded and unverified rumours about the search, the possible discovery of Joshlin and those allegedly involved in her disappearance.
“We furthermore appeal to residents of the surrounding towns and neighbourhoods not... to offer their ‘help’.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za