Cape Town – Joshlin Smith’s grandmother, Lauretta Yon, says she remains convinced the missing six-year-old is still alive, as her body has never been found.
“I must believe that she is still alive because we didn’t get her body. She cannot be dead, so if we don’t have a body, the search must still continue. I’m positive that Joshlin is alive, IOL quoted Yon as saying.
Yon, who visited Joshlin’s mother Kelly Smith in prison, said Smith denied selling her daughter or knowing what happened.
She said that Joshlin’s younger sister often asks about her.
A week ago, police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed that the investigations remained active, adding that the police had launched a renewed search operation in the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay.
“As SAPS previously stated, even though three individuals including the mother of the child were sentenced in May 2025 for kidnapping and human trafficking, the disappearance without trace of the child remained a priority for the SAPS in the Western Cape hence the investigation was never closed,” said Potelwa.
“It is worth reiterating that police have an obligation to follow up and test all information that is brought to their attention,” she said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
