Oliver said she helped search for Joshlin despite her own pain of losing her daughter.
The conviction of Joshlin Smith’s mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, along with her co-accused, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, may never fill the void left by the disappearance of the little girl, as they continue to seek answers from her mother.
The three returned to the Western Cape High Court in Saldanha on Wednesday, where victim impact statements were read out.
On 2 May, Judge Nathan Erasmus found the three guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking.
‘When is Joshlin coming?’
Joshlin’s teacher, Tahir Edna Maart, said the little girl’s disappearance has left a cloud of fear and anxiety among the pupils and parents.
Maart said she had never dealt with a pupil’s disappearance before and sometimes found herself unsure of what to say to Joshlin’s classmates.
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“As a teacher, I then realised that I had to put myself aside to calm my pupils every day because every day, they would ask the same question: ‘When is Joshlin coming?’
“Every day, I also saw confusion, fear and hope in the children’s faces. What I also realised at the time is that this incident could have a long-lasting traumatic impact, not on me but every pupil; they need to be protected at all times. Most of the pupils were in tears every day, especially her friends, who were very close to Joshlin.”
Joshlin’s disappearance left anxiety among parents too, as they started accompanying their children to and from school more.
“Parents were very protective of their children out of fear. During that period, parents came more often to bring their children to and pick them up from our school’s gate. The pupils told me that Joshlin’s song was ‘God will work it out’.
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“Since then, we start class with the song. The images of the pupils’ faces – the confusion, anxiety and also hope, I will never be able to erase them from my memory.
“How do you answer a child who is looking for answers that you are looking for yourself? Joshlin is still on our system at school and will stay there with the hope that she will still be found.”
‘If I slept an hour, it was a lot’
Cecilia Oliver, a community member who joined the search for Joshlin, said she struggled to sleep as she felt she had to keep searching.
Oliver said the search party would meet in the mornings and look for Joshlin despite the windy and rainy days.
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“There were days when I lost heart, but then there was always someone who encouraged me and the team. I was tired, both emotionally and physically, but I never gave up because giving up was not an option.”
Oliver said she helped search for Joshlin despite her own pain of losing her daughter.
“At that time, I was still going through my grieving process myself after my daughter’s death. I sat at home between my four walls, but the search for Joslin is so important. My daughter passed away, but we can find Joshlin; we had to find her. I had sleepless nights. If I slept for an hour, it was a lot.
“I was so emotionally involved that I left everything because for Johslin, we had to find. Emotionally, I was broken because it felt like it was my child, because she’s a child I knew. She came into my house, sat and ate. Every day, everything I saw in front of me was the most beautiful eyes.
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“My youngest daughter told me to switch off because I was no longer myself at home. I know I’m not Johslin’s mother, but with everything and through it all, it feels like she’s part of me. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s as if she’s my own child.”
‘Joshlin, where are you?’
Boltney further read a victim impact statement from Joshlin’s friend, 14-year-old Taylor Andrews.
Andrews wrote a poem filled with questions regarding her little friend’s whereabouts.
“Your disappearance has brought me so much pain, my heart is sore. I’m also full of thoughts and questions. Who is going to answer? Joshlin, where are you? Please come back so that you can ease my pain,” said Andrews.
“You have disappeared like the mist in front of the sun, who knows when I will see you again? I miss you so much. You’ve gone so soon, what did they do to you? I hope you are safe where you are. May God’s blessings rest upon you.”
Judge Erasmus is expected to hand out sentences on Thursday.
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