Social worker says Joshlin Smith's mother was using drugs while pregnant

A social worker looking into the missing Joshlin Smith case told the court that Kelly Smith, the mother of Joshlin, had been using drugs for a long period of time.

Siliziwe Mbambo of the Western Cape Department Social Development, who has been working with children since 2018, explained how she was roped into the girl’s case.

The trial is underway at the Western Cape High Court sitting in the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay.

Joshlin vanished on 19 February 2024 and her mother, Racquen ‘Kelly’ Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and their friend Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn face kidnapping and human trafficking charges. Their friend Laurentia Lombaard is expected to take the stand after turning state witness.

Mbambo had been dealing with the Smith family at the time of her disappearance.

“A request was sent to my former supervisor, and I got the Smith file.”

She told the court about the content of the file.

“The file was opened to request services. In connection with the report that we drafted, the Smith family was introduced to the department on 16 February 2016, it contained that Ms Smith was using drugs. Her eldest child was staying with Ms Smith’s grandmother. It also said that Ms Smith was pregnant with another child.”

Mbambo said that although there was a request for services by Kelly, prior to that, her grandmother had made the same request.

She said Joshlin’s mother was using drugs and had been a drug user for many years.

“The information was that Kelly was abusing and neglecting, and she would also swear at the child, and threatened to stab her son, Racquen.

"She also threatened to assault her grandmother. It was further recorded that on the same day, the grandmother was going to get a protection order against Kelly." 

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za