Next on the stand was Kelly’s sister. Mickeyla Daniels, a police constable attached to the Public Order Policing (POP) in Upington in the Northern Cape told the court Kelly was the eldest of five children.

Daniels said she was contacted on February 20, 2024, by her mother who explained that Joshlin had disappeared.

“I sent Kelly a message before 1pm. She did not reply. I sent another message before 7pm to ask if Joshlin had been found. She didn’t answer. I called her on Facebook messenger, but she did not answer,” Daniels said.

On February 21, 2024, Daniels received a voice note from Kelly stating Joshlin had not been found yet but claimed she ‘will get her back’ that day.

Daniels testified she asked Kelly where Joshlin was, and, in her own words, Kelly said: “My sister, my kind is hier in die plakkerskamp. Iemand wil my kind verkoop maar Saldanha is nou ‘n hotspot. (my child is here in the informal settlement. Someone wants to sell my child, but Saldanha is currently a hotspot).”

The third witness for the day was Paulina Tshosa.

She testified a woman, later identified as Kelly, argued with a man. She also witnessed a child nearby.

Tshosa told the court that the woman and what she assumed was her partner had an ugly argument, and the woman took the child, saying: ‘ek gaan jou wys (I will show you)’. She testified she saw Kelly pulling the child and heading into the shack. She also saw Joshlin show Kelly a pink flip-flop. At the time, she heard what sounded like pots and dishes falling.

“I thought she was fighting with her husband and taking her frustrations out on the child,” Tshosa said.

Tshosa said on February 20, 2024, a colleague at school showed her a picture from a local social media group announcing Joshlin’s disappearance.

“When I saw the picture, I said this child’s mother must tell the truth about where the child is. This child did not disappear,” Tshosa said.

The trial continues.

robin.francke@iol.co.za

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