In light of the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith from Saldanha Bay, a local resident has made a shocking revelation via a live interview on social media.
The man was being interviewed by Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader, Gayton Mckenzie on Wednesday evening.
McKenzie and more members of his party have been extremely active on social media platforms as they searched the area from top to bottom for the missing Grade 1 girl from Diazville Primary School.
Joshlin has been missing since February 19.
Mckenzie and his teams also interviewed people pertaining to Joshlin’s disappearance, this included her mother Kelly Smith, and her boyfriend, Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis who now stand accused of kidnapping and trafficking the young girl.
During this interview, the man identified as Owen, had a sit down with McKenzie at his home.
Mckenzie said they took a step back from the investigation, but passed on all information received to police.
However, he believes that the information Owen has, would not be known by others.
IOL previously reported a source revealed Joshlin had been sold for R20,000.
“We don’t care who gets the praise, as long as we find Joshlin. What’s important about this is that we left this investigation somewhere and there is no way he could have known what we know,” Mckenzie told followers.
He told Owen to get straight to the point, as it was late at night.
Owen revealed someone approached him looking for a child.
“A man was looking for a child no younger than six or older than 17-years-old. He was looking for a child of mlungu (meaning white person),” he said.
Mckenzie questioned why this man would approach Owen and he responded: “I cleaned his yard at the house just before he moved in. I suspect he is the man who has something to do with Joshlin’s disappearance because of her age. The man works at the Navy base, he trains the students and he is a sangoma”.
He said he knows the man is a sangoma because of his traditional attire.
Owen explained he had given the information to police last Monday, March 4. However, police never got back to him regarding the matter, but one officer told him it was ‘good information’.
He further stated he saw Smith, Appollis, and Stevano van Rhyn, another accused in the matter, at the police station where it is alleged the men had a spat with Smith.
“Boeta told Kelly he was tired of the lies now. He already told them, ‘you must now tell them what you told me the Sunday before Joshlin went missing’, and he left.
“They brought Stevano and he said the same thing to Kelly. Kelly then said she knew Boeta and Stevano would turn against her,” Owen explained.
One of the councillors also present, explained that during the investigation, he visited the house of the man mentioned who has a place at the navy base and a place in Diazville. He visited the Diazville house.
“We (myself and Owen) went to the neighbour who is looking after the man’s house in Diazville because he (Owen) told me the neighbour was transporting furniture and other items from the house. I wanted to know where he took the items.
“I told him we’re just wanting to find out something. I asked him about the things he transported.”
The neighbour, who is a church leader, then apparently tried to move the focus on Owen, asking him about furniture being transported.
“Owen couldn’t answer him fast enough and he smacked Owen. He got extremely angry and put Owen out of his yard,” the councillor stated.
The councillor explained they were just following up on information, and neighbour said he was just looking after the sangoma’s house, forensics was there and nothing was found.
The sangoma knows a previous man who was falsely implicated in the disappearance as he was a regular customer at the car wash.
Mckenzie asked Owen why he came out now with this information and he responded: “tomorrow it can be my sister’s child or somebody’s child or my child even”.
Mckenzie explained the information shared is accurate and he said information led to the naval base and harbour, however, they could not get access. They were told to get police and he said they handed things over to police.
“We never put this on a live. You could not have heard this from any of us and here you come with the same information,” Mckenzie said.
Mckenzie said it was it was important to note they are not accusing anyone and people needed to know the developments of the case.
People spoke about a coffin, do you know anything about it, Mckenzie asked.
“The day the furniture that was being transported, a coffin was also part of the items. It was a normal-sized coffin. The man is in the business of coffins. The man who lives at the house, I haven’t seen since Joshlin’s disappearance,” Owen stated.
Searches for Joshlin continue.
The trio are expected back in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court on May 13.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
IOL