Inside tin shack Joslin Smith called home [video]

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For the first time, South Africans were given a glimpse inside the tin shack little Joslin Smith called home. The missing Saldanha Bay girl lived with her two siblings, mother Kelly Smith, and her mother’s boyfriend, Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, in the informal settlement of Middelpos in Diazville.

Kelly, Boeta, and their friend Steveno Van Rhyn are accused of selling the child to fund their drug habit.They have pled not guilty to charges of child trafficking and kidnapping.

JOSLIN SMITH: INSIDE FAMILY’S TIN SHACK

In a TikTok video, user @vvviralv shared a clip of Joslin Smith’s family home in the informal settlement of Middelpos in Diazville.

The tiny tin and wooden shack has just one window and is surrounded by rubbish and muddy terrain.

In the clip, inside the shack is seen strewn with dirt and toppled furniture.�

@vvviralv #Joshlin #traffichild #capetownsouthafrica🇿🇦 #justice #kelly @SABC News ♬ original sound – Reyne L.

Joslin lived in the shack with her mother, Kelly Smith, older brother, and younger sister, who has been put in care by the Western Cape Department of Social Development.

The blond-haired and green-eyed girl also shared the home with her mother’s boyfriend “Boeta.”

According to community members, Joslin’s brother often collected clean water from a nearby tap. According to Kelly, she received food parcels and clothing from neighbours and her employer.

Over the past two weeks, the High Court has heard testimonies from witnesses who accused Kelly of selling her child to fund her Tik (crystal meth) addiction.

A state witness, a former accused, also alleged that Kelly had sold Joslin to a sangoma for R20 000.

CONFRONTED BY ANGRY NEIGHBOURS

Earlier this month, Kelly Smith, Boeta Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn returned to the shack as part of the court’s in-loco inspection of the area where Joslin Smith disappeared.

During the walkabout, Judge Nathan Erasmus, the defense, and two prosecutors took notes as SAP Captain Wesley Lombard gave an account of what transpired the day Joslin went missing.

Armed with a heavy police presence, the trio – who were shackled at their feet – were met with angry residents of the community.

In a clip posted on social media, one woman cried: “You pig! Tell the people where your child is! You dirty dog. You’re not a mother; what is wrong with you?”. Another asked: “Where is Joslin? Your child is looking for you, she misses you.”