Joshlin Smith wasn't the only one: 2 963 children missing in South Africa

IOL News

07-05-2025

Joshlin Smith was last seen at her home in Middlepos on February 19, 2024.
Joshlin Smith was last seen at her home in Middlepos on February 19, 2024.
Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) is sounding the alarm over concerning statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS) that indicate over 17 000 citizens have been reported missing in the past five years, with 2 963 of those being children.
Other figures reveal that 1 919 of these missing children are girls, pointing to a deepening crisis of child vulnerability, negligence, and exploitation in the country.
'At WMACA, we are appalled by the scale of this crisis,' says WMACA's Alex Talbot.
'The number of children who vanish, and remain unaccounted for, is a scar on the conscience of this country. The figures shared by SAPS are just the tip of the iceberg.'
Talbot highlights this amid the heart-wrenching case of six-year-old Joshlin Smith, who went missing while under the care of her parents and is believed to have been trafficked for an alleged R20 000. Despite extensive media coverage and multiple arrests, Joshlin remains unaccounted for, symbolising the countless children who have fallen victim to exploitation, often overshadowed by our collective silence.
Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, along with her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and their accomplice Steveno van Rhyn, have been convicted of kidnapping and trafficking the young girl for exploitation. The Western Cape High Court has established that the evidence presented proved beyond reasonable doubt that these individuals had sold their daughter.
The organisation says schools, communities, and society at large must collectively acknowledge that abduction and exploitation are not isolated incidents but rather daily realities affecting children across South Africa.
'We must teach our children, in age-appropriate and trauma-informed ways, how to be vigilant both offline and online. But ultimately, it is not solely the child's responsibility to ensure their safety. As adults, educators, and policymakers, we must construct systems that guarantee safety as a right, not a privilege.'
It is further highlighted that these statistics do not include unreported cases, particularly in Johannesburg's inner city, where up to 20 foetuses or newborns are abandoned each month. These tragic circumstances reflect not only a failure in reporting but also a failure in valuing life by societal standards.
According to Missing Children South Africa, a child is reported missing every five hours, with a troubling 23% of cases never resolved. Many of these children may fall prey to trafficking, murder, or abandonment, compounding the urgency for broader protective measures.
To combat this crisis more effectively, Talbot suggests that there must be accountability for digital platforms, investments in school-based awareness programmes, and enhancements in reporting mechanisms like the SAPS Amber Alerts. Advocates are calling for greater visibility on cases that often slip through the cracks, stressing that the disappearance of almost 9 000 children in the last decade, with about 4 000 still missing, should deeply concern the nation.
Saturday Star