Court Hears Joshlins Mother Kelly Always Wanted To Be Famous

A social media influencer Shakeera Ganief, better known as Shakes Warrior, has testified that in the weeks following Joshlin Smiths disappearance, Kelly Smith did not act like a mother whose child had gone missing.

Ganief, who also helped to search for the girl between February and April last year, has been testifying in the kidnapping trial in the High Court sitting in Saldanha Bay on the Cape West Coast.

Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Apollis and Steveno van Rhyn are facing charges of kidnapping and human trafficking. Seven-year-old Joshlin went missing from her Middlepos home in Saldanha more than a year ago. Ganief says that on more than one occasion, Kelly Smith declared that she has always wanted to be famous.

She recalled a prayer event that was held on the third of March last year.

Something very disturbing took place that day. It was the moment the Temple Boys was performing a song for the kids, Kelly was busy dancing and having a good time and she was just on top of the world that day, when she made reference again, Yoh, my kind child maak making my me famous.