POLICE, various organisations and residents in the Western Cape are searching for six-year-old Joslin Smith.
The little girl went missing in Diazville, Saldanha Bay, outside Cape Town on Monday, 19 February.
According to the girl’s mother Kelly Smith (33), Joslin, who is a grade 1 pupil at Diazville Primary School, had not attended school on that fateful day because she was unwell.
Kelly said she had left Joslin in the care of her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, as she was at work.
When she returned, both the boyfriend and Joslin were not at home.
She said the boyfriend later returned without the child, and he said he didn't know Joslin's whereabouts.
The mother opened a missing persons case at the cop shop around 10 pm on the same day.
The girl was in the care of her mother’s boyfriend at the time she went missing.
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Jacquin, on the other hand, said he left the child playing with other kids at about 2pm that day.
Saldanha Bay Mayor Andre Truter has announced a R20 000 reward for anyone with information about the missing girl.
“It's my prayer that this reward will blow new energy into the investigation. I know there's someone out there who may have information that can inform us of the whereabouts of our little Joslin. We request that you come forward and speak up.
"All information will be handled with the strictest confidentiality! The investigating officer is ready to follow up on positive physical evidence. Time is running out, and we have to #KeepHopeAlive for little Joslin,” said Truter on his Facebook page.
Over the weekend, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members also went to the bushes around Diazville, searching for the child. South African Navy, cops and community members were also all over the area trying to find the missing girl.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie said the case is still under investigation.
“Various people had been interviewed in an effort to trace the missing girl, but thus far without any success. It's standard procedure to interview those in whose company the missing person was last seen or in whose care the child was at the time of his disappearance so that facts can be verified.
“May I reiterate that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Joshlin are being investigated and that we will exhaust all avenues to get to the bottom of this all,” said Pojie.
Joslin disappeared a week after another schoolgirl, Monneashia Prins went missing, and her body was found the following day at Ithemba Farms near Blue Downs.
