COPS DIG DEEPER

MIDDELPOS mense celebrated the burning of Joshlin Smith’s old home and want to know what is buried underneath.

The hokkie from which the green-eyed meisie went missing went up in flames on Friday. 

The incident happened hours after the six-year-old girl’s mom Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and their friend Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn were convicted of kidnapping and trafficking at the Western Cape High Court.

After the place was destroyed, the police arrived on Sunday to dig where the shack once stood.

Resident Natasha Maarman said if the shack had not been burned down, they would still be wondering if there was nothing buried under it.

She says: “We wanted to know whether there were remains of Joshlin buried there.”

Maarman says that if Joshlin is found alive, the community would call for Natasha Andrews, a witness in the kidnapping trial who looked after Joshlin and wanted to adopt her, to take custody of the child.

She adds: “If Joshlin ever returns home, we would fight to give her to Natasha Andrews, because we wouldn’t want her to return to this shack.

“No one has been staying there, and we were all scared when people went through the window and smoked drugs there.”

The woman accused of burning down the hokkie appeared in Vredenburg Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

Monique Kekana, 27, stood in the dock alone after she was arrested on Friday night on the scene in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay. The accused was charged with arson

Kekana made a brief appearance and elected a Legal Aid lawyer to represent her.

The mother-of-two is expected to return to court on 12 May for bail information. 

A neighbour, Janine Frans, said the shack had been used by drug users since Kelly was arrested last year and there was a discussion amongst the community members that it should be removed.

Frans says: “There was a party near Kelly’s house, and we talked about the dangers of having it there as it stood empty.

“We saw drug addicts walk in and out of the house. We said we were scared that they would end up abusing our children, and they would be taken and sold. 

“She burned it down that day because Kelly and others were found guilty. The community stood strong behind her. The accused then said she was going to burn the place down. 

“She then left and set the shack alight.”

A video of the visibly-drunk Kekana has been making its rounds.

She was taken into custody shortly after the clip was shot.