Durban — Police Minister Bheki Cele has assured the community of Saldanha that everything would be done to find little Joshlin Smith who disappeared from her home in the Cape West Coast town two weeks ago.
Addressing the community on Saturday, Cele assured residents that the police were committed to finding the six-year-old and that no stone would be left unturned. He also met with councillors and the police.
“There shall be no resource that will be spared until we all say we have done everything.”
Earlier this week Cele lashed out at the DA for “politicising a sensitive and painful matter of a missing child in an attempt to gain votes.”
This came after the party allegedly released a poster saying that the minister had “withdrawn police from the search” and that law enforcers from the City of Cape Town which was led by the DA would take over the investigation.
On Saturday Cele told the community that all their other concerns would be dealt with but that finding the 6-year-old took priority. It's part of their (police’s) job to be where the communities are… they can't just go.
“I would love to hear what else you think we can do to assist so that when the time comes we all agree together to say that everything has been done,” he told the crowd.
“The meeting is stretching time, we should be planning and putting resources,” said Cele.
The Sunday Tribune also spoke to Western Cape Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie who said that some of their resources like the police helicopter were withdrawn and reallocated or redistributed to other places where it was needed but the investigation was ongoing.
“No arrest has been made. There's no evidence whatsoever at this stage where we can arrest somebody, where somebody’s been implicated. I know for some time there were rumours about the arrest made and parents being taken in for questioning,” Pojie said.
Joshlin, the little girl with the big smile, was allegedly with her mom’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. The Grade 1 Diazville Primary School pupil was believed to be unwell, which is why her mom apparently left her in his care when she went to work.
As the tragedy unfolded, experts who specialised in cases about missing persons said that facts and not speculation or social media was needed. This after politicians, a US psychic and social media personalities jumped on the publicity bandwagon.
Barbara Rass, an activist for women and children’s rights who has spearheaded many searches for missing people, said social media could damage a case like Joshlin’s.
“Social media, TikTok are ruining this case and chances of finding the child dead or alive.
Certain information should not be in the media and if we look at the AKA case, they made an arrest that was only revealed now, police and the family were working behind the scenes and there were results.”
Bianca van Aswegen of Missing Children SA said not enough attention was placed on missing children cases unless the case was fresh.
Sunday Tribune