Police continue search for missing Joshlin in Saldanha Bay
Image: Ayanda Ndamane Independent Newspapers
Police have reported no further developments in their investigations into the disappearance of Joshlin Smith, having dispatched a team to Saldanha Bay at the weekend to follow up on 'new' information.
The six-year-old girl went missing on February 19, 2024 from her home in Saldanha Bay while in the care of convicted child trafficker Jacquen 'Boeta' Appollis. Her mother, Racquel 'Kelly' Smith, claimed she was at work at the time.
At the weekend police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said: 'Western Cape police descended on Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay on Friday afternoon pursuing emerging information as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Joshlin Smith.
'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.'
Potelwa added that the operation involved a team of detectives, K-9 units, search and rescue personnel, and local police combing through an identified area.
'Whether the ongoing search will yield any success remains to be seen. It is worth reiterating that police have an obligation to follow up and test all information that is brought to their attention.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
'A humble plea is made that the search teams be afforded space to perform their duties as the investigation continues.'
Asked about further developments on Sunday, police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said there was nothing to report as the investigation continues.
Joshlin's paternal grandmother said she was shocked to learn that there were new developments in the case. She only became aware of this from the media and not from the police.
'I didn't hear anything about this until many people called me. I don't know what is going on. The police have not said anything to me,' Louretta Yon said.
Joshlin's disappearance sent shockwaves across the country, with communities rallying in support of the search. Despite three people being convicted, including Appollis and Joshlin's mother, the little girl's whereabouts remain unknown.
Cape Times
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
3 minutes ago
- IOL News
Man jumps from taxi covered in blood, leading to 3 arrests for attempted murder
Injured man discovered at traffic stop, leading to three arrests for attempted murder. Image: Supplied Three suspects remain in custody following their first court appearance in connection with the attempted murder and abduction of a man who was found covered in blood after jumping out of a taxi during a traffic stop. The three suspects appeared in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and abduction. The suspects were arrested on Sunday morning by a metro police officer who witnessed a minibus taxi driver run a red light at the intersection of Jakes Gerwel Drive and Morgenster Road. During the traffic stop, as the officer spoke with the driver, a man covered in blood jumped out of the vehicle and collapsed. 'On Sunday morning a metro police officer conducted what he thought was a routine traffic stop but has since resulted in charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and abduction against three suspects. The trio aged 23, 24 and 27 were found in a minibus taxi along with an injured man who was later taken to hospital for treatment,' said metro police spokesperson, Ruth Solomons. At the scene, while the officers were on the radio, it is alleged that two more men exited the taxi, with their hands also covered in blood. The officer then instructed them to stay inside the vehicle until backup arrived. A man jumped out of a taxi covered in blood at a traffic stop. Image: Supplied According to Solomons, the suspects were detained at Mitchells Plain police station, while the victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. 'Following their court appearance today, the suspects were remanded in custody until their bail hearing next week,' metro police added.
IOL News
3 minutes ago
- IOL News
SA insurers expose shocking ‘kill-for-cash' schemes and fraud frenzy
Murder, Mistakes, and Millions: SA Insurers Expose Shocking 'Kill-for-Cash' Schemes and Fraud Frenzy Image: Ai-Generated/Sora From shocking 'murder for money' cases to bank errors that drained customer accounts, South Africa's financial watchdogs and insurers are uncovering fraud and fixing costly mistakes – and the amounts involved run into the hundreds of millions. In fact, in the past year, of the 5 505 fraudulent and dishonest life insurance claims recorded by Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) members, 38 were murder for money cases, its latest report showed. Jean van Niekerk, convenor of the ASISA Forensic Standing Committee, said that while all types of fraud and dishonesty are of concern, the industry is particularly focused on stamping out murder for insurance payouts and deceased estate fraud. In addition, ASISA members have picked up on criminal syndicates identifying deceased estates as a lucrative way of accessing large amounts of money, preying on people's grief and the slow and arduous processes involved in winding up the financial affairs of a deceased family member Although the numbers are still relatively low, incidents detected have tripled from 54 in 2023 to 161 in 2024. Even more concerning is the significant rand value of the fraud prevented. 'If we had not detected the 161 cases last year, our industry and beneficiaries would have lost R220 million to criminal syndicates,' says Van Niekerk. Of the 5 505 fraudulent and dishonest life insurance claims recorded by Association for Savings and Investment South Africa last year, 38 were murder for money cases. Image: ASISA Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading These findings form part of ASISA's annual fraud statistics compiled by its Forensic Standing Committee. It stated that its members detected 16 520 cases of fraud and dishonesty in 2024 – up 26% from 13 074 cases the previous year. Insurers and investment firms prevented losses of about R1.4 billion, although criminals and dishonest policyholders still cost the industry R131.6m. Van Niekerk said the loss represents just 0.02% of the R639bn in honest claims paid in 2024. He attributed the lower losses to improved detection tools and forensic teams. 'Our industry has always been seen as a soft target by criminals and dishonest individuals because of the significant amounts of investments and benefits being managed, but it is getting increasingly difficult to get away with fraud and dishonesty,' he said. Remuneration fraud, where agents or advisers dishonestly claim commissions or fees, accounted for more than half of all cases. Life insurance claim fraud was the second-largest category, while fraudulent withdrawals and disinvestments were the only area to see fewer cases, although actual losses there increased slightly. Meanwhile, honest customers are having to deal with miscommunication and unlawful deductions. Last year, the newly created National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO) secured R328.5 million in refunds for aggrieved customers who complained about financial institutions. Its annual report shows that of the 28 002 complaints it handled between January and December 2024, 30% related to fraud. Maladministration by financial institutions and complaints from debt-stressed consumers were the second- and third-highest categories. 'These trends align with patterns observed in previous years, where fraud-related disputes consistently accounted for a significant portion of complaints,' the report noted. One case involved a South African customer who signed up for a personal loan over the phone. She believed the interest rate was 19.25%, only to later discover it was 29.25%. She asked the bank to review the rate. The bank said the higher rate was correct, based on her credit profile, and was legal. But when the NFO investigated, it listened to the call recording and found the customer had repeatedly complained about poor line quality. 'Based on the call it was probable that the complainant did not hear the interest rate correctly,' the report said of this anonymous example. Top complaints to the National Financial Ombud in 2024. Image: NFO Because of the bad call quality, there were doubts about whether she fully understood or agreed to the 29.25% rate. South African contract law requires both parties to agree clearly (a meeting of the minds), and banks must make sure customers understand the terms and risks of credit agreements. After mediation, the bank agreed to reduce the interest rate to 19.25% and refunded the difference from the start of the loan. In another case, a customer found R1 689.88 had been taken from his account without notice, leading him to lodge a fraud complaint. He had made a payment of R3 000 to a beneficiary, but a bank system error reversed it and credited the money back to him. He then paid it again – and the beneficiary ended up receiving both payments. Instead of fixing the error, the bank deducted R1 689.88 from his account and flagged a balance owing. The NFO found that the customer was not at fault and that the bank should have dealt directly with the beneficiary who was unjustly enriched. The bank refunded the customer and removed the flag from his account. Nerosha Maseti, Lead Ombud of the Banking Division, said 'bank customers have every right to expect good service and for complaints to be taken seriously'. IOL
IOL News
3 minutes ago
- IOL News
Fraud revealed in R800 million oxygen plant tender, Macpherson announces disciplinary action against IDT CEO
Forensic report reveals fraud in R800 million oxygen plant procurement process. Image: Thabo Makwakwa Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson announced a series of disciplinary and criminal actions following the shocking findings of a forensic investigation into the controversial R800 million Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plant tender. During a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon, Macpherson revealed the final results of a forensic investigation into the controversial R800 million Pressure Swing Adsorption tender awarded by the Independent Development Trust (IDT) The investigation was conducted by global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), following months of scrutiny and allegations of procurement irregularities by the entity's officials. The report exposes systemic governance failures, procedural breaches, and outright fraud that have plagued the IST for years and threaten South Africa's public health infrastructure and integrity. "From the moment I stepped into this role, I was already aware of long-standing allegations of maladministration, financial misconduct, and corruption at the IDT," Macpherson declared during a briefing in Pretoria. "These concerns have haunted the agency for years; unfinished projects, irregular tenders, and audit disclaimers have severely damaged its credibility." The latest scandal, which came to light in October 2024, revealed alarming details about the procurement process for the PSA Oxygen Plant project. With a budget of R836 million, this crucial initiative was to supply oxygen systems to 60 hospitals nationwide. Of this, R528 million was allocated directly to the IDT. The forensic report, which Macpherson presented publicly, indicates that multiple companies awarded contracts lacked proper certification, verifiable contact details, or legitimate operational capacity. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ According to the report, one company, associated with a 'ghost' entity, submitted questionable documentation and appeared to have no physical presence or regulatory approval, raising clear suspicions of fraud. "This was a clear misrepresentation. It was fraud," Macpherson stated. 'The investigation further revealed that one company, Bulkeng (Pty) Ltd, submitted a SAHPRA license belonging to Atlas Copco Industrial SA without authorisation - a blatant act of fraud. Additionally, Bulkeng planned to subcontract over 25% of its responsibilities to Brutes Air Solutions but failed to disclose this, violating the Preferential Procurement Regulations.' The procurement process itself was severely flawed. The report confirmed that the SAHPRA compliance requirement - initially included in the Project Execution Plan and the Department of Health's Memorandum of Agreement, was deliberately removed from the final Request for Proposals (RFP). 'This critical omission allowed ineligible bidders to participate and secure contracts worth over R428 million—more than double Bulkeng's CIDB grading limit of R200 million.' The report highlights a litany of procedural breaches, including missing meeting minutes or incomplete procurement committees that were improperly constituted; bid evaluation scores were inadequately documented; and price negotiations lacked transparency. 'For instance, the project's initial budget of R216 million ballooned to over R590 million—without documented approvals or value-for-money assessments.' Macpherson stated that the governance failure extended to the very top. 'The IDT's board lacked quota membership for months, internal audit functions were absent, and record-keeping was poor. 'Most critically, CEO Tebogo Malaka failed to exercise oversight, relying solely on internal SCM staff and ignoring red flags the Department of Health raised. 'She did not verify documentation or convene necessary risk committees, instead endorsing flawed processes.' The report also criticises Dr Molebedi Sisi, the IDT's General Manager for Supply Chain Management, for misleading internal stakeholders. Macpherson stated that despite urgent warnings from the Department of Health, he advised against canceling the RFQ, falsely asserting that procurement was compliant when key regulatory requirements, like valid SAHPRA licenses - had not been enforced. 'It is important to note that no Global Fund resources were involved in this project. This justified swift government intervention to safeguard donor funds. 'The procurement has now been redirected through the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), ensuring the oxygen systems are acquired without further delay.' Macpherson announced that disciplinary proceedings are already underway against Malaka, Sisi, and other implicated officials, with referrals to the Hawks for criminal investigations, aimed at ensuring accountability and justice. Macpherson outlined specific areas for immediate action. 'Disciplinary measures against Ms Malaka for confirming the procurement process despite irregularities, and for appointing Department of Health officials as members rather than observers, as prescribed. Accountability for Sisi, who advised stakeholders to proceed despite warnings and regulatory breaches. Review of procurement processes, including proper documentation, committee composition, and adherence to regulations. He suggested Training and capacity building for SCM officials to prevent future irregularities and strengthen governance frameworks across the IDT and related entities. "This is not just about one tender," Macpherson asserted. "It's about the kind of state we are building - an ethical, capable, and developmental one." He said the government will leave no stone unturned in rooting out corruption and restoring public trust. He also reaffirmed the appointment of a new full-term IDT board, led by Chairwoman Zimbini Hill and Deputy Chair Professor Raymond Nkado, tasked with turning the agency around. Macpherson praised Hill's resilience amid attacks rooted in sexism and racism, and expressed confidence in the board's ability to implement the report's recommendations. "This is about the kind of state we are building. Today's actions demonstrate our unwavering commitment to building an ethical, capable, and developmental state. Anyone who opposes transparency and accountability opposes the principles our democracy was built upon." He warned that tolerating corruption undermines the very fabric of South Africa's democracy, erodes public trust, and betrays the people who rely on these vital services. IOL Politics
