An old clip of Gayton McKenzie branding Joslin Smith’s mother, Kelly Smith, as “guilty” over the disappearance of her daughter has resurfaced amid the high-profile trial.
The Saldanha Bay woman is accused of selling her child to fund her drug habit. This week in court, a state witness alleged that Kelly had sold Joslin to a sangoma for R20 000.
Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta,” and her friend Steveno Van Rhyn have pleaded not guilty to child kidnapping and trafficking charges. The then-six-year-old went missing from her home in Diazville on 19 February 2024.
GAYTON BRANDS JOSLIN SMITH’S MOM ‘GUILTY’
Speaking on the Wide Awake Podcast last year, Gayton McKenzie – who is now the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture – shared his opinion about Joslin Smith’s mother, Kelly Smith.
The Patriotic Alliance leader led a hands-on search party for the little girl and even befriended her mother.
He said: “I’ve seen things to show me that that woman is not innocent. I sat with her, she’s jolly and laughing and talking as if Joslin was already dead”.
Gayton continued: “What shocked me to the core was that she asked one of our people to stop searching for Joslin. We must just accept Joslin’s fate”.
Gayton is referring to social justice activist Shakeerah Ganief, who recently testified in the trial.
The minister also recalled how Kelly Smith danced at a prayer service for her child. In another encounter, Gayton claimed that Kelly coached her boyfriend to appear emotional in public over the missing child.
“You must act like you’re very sad,” Kelly reportedly said.
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In his initial meeting with Joslin Smith’s mother, Kelly admitted to Gayton that both Boeta and herself abused the drug Tik (crystal meth). He also offered to send Kelly to a drug rehab centre, which she refused.
‘KELLY’S LIES’
In a Facebook post earlier this month, Gayton McKenzie accused Joslin Smith’s mother of attempting to sway the public.
“We can’t keep quiet about Kelly’s lies. When I met Kelly, I couldn’t sleep because I knew I had just met a suspect”, he posted.
Gayton also accused Kelly of caring more for her boyfriend than for her missing child.
He added, “We were all shocked because not once did she cry or show emotion for little Joshlin. We once thought that maybe she was not an emotional person. She cried uncontrollably for her boyfriend.”
We can’t keep quiet about Kelly’s lies
When I met Kelly I couldn’t sleep because I knew I just met a suspect, I…
Posted by Gayton Mckenzie on Thursday 6 March 2025
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