The family of Kelly Smith, the mom of missing Joshlin from Saldanha Bay, say they cannot confirm or deny reports that she is pregnant.
Her aunt, Priscilla Collair, says she has heard the rumour about the pregnancy, but didn’t want to speculate because the mother of three hasn’t told them anything yet.
Kelly is behind bars along with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn and Lourentia Lombaard for the human trafficking and kidnapping of six-year-old Joshlin.
The Grade 1 learner at Diazville Primary School went missing on 19 February, while in the care of Appollis.
The group was arrested after one of them allegedly confessed to cops that they sold the child for R20 000. Kelly’s two other children, a 10-year-old boy and three-year-girl, are currently in the care of relatives.
Neighbour Phumza Sigaqa, who was initially arrested before charges against her were dropped, claims that Kelly admitted in the dock that she is expecting another child.
Sigaqa says: “I had not seen her since I was arrested on 5 March. I was told that she would come into the interrogation room, but she didn’t. The first time I saw her was when I went to court because I was kept in Hopefield and I don’t know where she was.
“She first apologised to me and then she addressed her boyfriend.
“She asked Boeta (Appollis) why he would do this when he knew that she was pregnant.”
Collair says she was shocked to learn about the alleged pregnancy.
Collair says: “I heard about this on their second (court) appearance and also read it in the papers.“I don’t know anything about this and she spoke to my mother a lot and didn’t mention it once, so we can’t confirm it.”
A source close to Kelly says she went to hospital two weeks before Joshlin’s disappearance.
The source says: “She said she was pregnant and then went to hospital and when she came back, she said she miscarried the baby and that is what many people said.
“I then went to court and I heard that she was still pregnant, and I heard that from a reliable source.”
Meanwhile, Kelly has reportedly been assaulted in jail and had to be moved to a single cell for her own safety.
Last week, Lombaard made her first appearance at Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court and informed people in the public gallery that she “told the police everything”.
The State revealed that Lombaard had made a confession to the police, but didn’t give further details.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za