Missing Persons Unit Slams SAPS for Allegedly Mistreating Joslin Smith Witness
- The director and founder of the Western Cape Missing Persons Unit spoke out against the South African Police Service
- This was after the police gave an update on the status of Joslin Smith's missing case, over a year after her disappearance
- The unit accused the police of not taking a witness seriously who came forward with information that could help find Joslin Smith
With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
Source: Getty Images
SALDANHA BAY, WESTERN CAPE — Candice van der Rheede, the director and founder of the Western Cape Missing Persons Unit (WCMPU), slammed the South African Police Service (SAPS) for allegedly mistreating a potential witness in connection with Joslin Smith's disappearance in February 2024.
According to IOL, Van Rheede said that the organisation approached the case's first investigating officer, Sergeant Meyer Milstein from the Vredeburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit. A witness came forward and said that Kelly Smith, Joslin's mother, was looking for a portable toilet the week her child went missing. However, the witness was reportedly mistreated.
Van Rheede said that the officer ignored the information that Kelly was looking for a specific portable toilet. The witness, who provided the information, worked on the site where Kelly came looking for the portable toilet and asked the witness where the toilet she was looking for was.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
What happened to Joslin Smith?
Joslin Smith went missing from her home in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape, in February 2024. Her mother, Kelly, her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, and their associate, Steveno Van Rhyn, were arrested and charged a month later.
The trial into her disappearance began in March 2025, a year after she went missing. Lourentia Lombaard, who was also arrested for Joslin's disappearance, turned state witness, and much of the state's case relied on her testimony.
Source: Getty Images
What happened during the trial?
Lombaard testified that she heard Kelly plan to sell Joslin to a sangoma for R20,000 for her eyes and her skin. Kelly's sister and former boss also testified during the trial. The three accused refused to testify after Appollis and Van Rhyn lost the trial-within-a-trial to determine the admissibility of their confessions.
The duo accused the police of severely assaulting and torturing them, forcing them to confess. Van Rhyn accused Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie of transporting him to the police station without his permission. A social worker described Van Rhyn as a violent person and a menace to society.
Reporting a person missing
When a person goes missing, the South African Police Service (SAPS) must act without delay. Immediate reporting and cooperation from the public can make a significant difference.
Visit your nearest police station to file the report as soon as possible. Bring a recent photograph of the missing person, if available, and provide a detailed description of their last known location, clothing, and any other relevant information. You will be required to complete and sign a SAPS 55(A) form, which authorises police to circulate the individual’s information and protects against false reports.
Be sure to obtain the investigating officer’s contact details for follow-ups or to provide additional information. If the person is found or returns home, inform the officer immediately so a SAPS 92 form can be submitted to remove the case from the missing persons database.
Kelly Smith was sentenced to life imprisonment
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Smith, her boyfriend Jacquin Appollis, and their friend Steven Van Rhyn were sentenced to life imprisonment for the disappearance of Joslin Smith.
The three were convicted of kidnapping and trafficking in persons. This was after they went on trial over a year after Joslin disappeared from her Middlepos Informal Settlement home. They appealed their sentences and maintained their innocence.
Serial killer fears rise in Pretoria after 4 burned bodies found
In other news, Briefly News reported that residents of a community in the Pretoria area are fearful that a serial killer may be on the loose following the discovery of a burned body of a woman. The body was discovered on 4 August 2025, at the Watloo Train Station, in Silverton, east of Pretoria. The latest discovery comes on the back of similar instances in the area over the past three months.
The community are fearful as the latest discovery was the fourth burned body found in the vicinity in the past three months. Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili, confirmed that three other bodies were discovered between June and July 2025. They were all burnt.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
