Co-accused claims Gayton McKenzie took him to police station after Joshlin Smith went missing
Co-accused Stevano van Rhyn claimed that he was taken to Saldanha Bay Police Station by Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation Gayton McKenzie after Joshlin Smith went missing.
Kelly Smith (right), Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn listen to testimony in the Western Cape High Court sitting at the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre on 11 March 2025. Picture: Carlo Petersen/EWN
SALDANHA BAY - Patriotic Alliance (PA) president Gayton McKenzie has been mentioned in the trial related to the disappearance of Joshlin Smith.
Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn are accused of selling Joshlin to an unknown woman in February last year.
The accused are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking in the Western Cape High Court sitting in the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre.
Co-accused Stevano van Rhyn claimed that he was taken to Saldanha Bay Police Station by Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation Gayton McKenzie after Joshlin Smith went missing.
Van Rhyn's attorney told the court her client was bundled into MacKenzie's grey vehicle a few days after Joshlin's disappearance.
Van Rhyn was allgedly transported to the police station against his will before being questioned about what happened to Joshlin.
On Tuesday, Kelly Smith's attorney told the court that McKenzie gave Smith R1,000 to buy groceries, while also purchasing clothing for herself and her children before her eventual arrest.
The trial continues.