A Saldanha resident wears a T-shirt with Joshlin Smith's image on it,while waiting outside the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay,where the trial took place,on 3 March 2025.
Theo Jeptha/Die Burger/Gallo Images
Saldanha Bay residents are fuming over a book about the disappearance of Joshlin Smith. They want the book to be halted from publication. Convicted kidnapper Raquel “Kelly” Smith has allegedly given her blessing for the author of the book to go ahead with publication. Saldanha Bay residents want to prevent a book about the disappearance of 6-year-old Joshlin Smith from hitting the shelves.
A petition with more than 650 signatures has circulated to stop independent publisher Greg Wells-Clifton’s book,Joshlin Smith - Echoes of a Missing Child.
The little girl disappeared outside her Middelpos home on 19 February 2024 and has still not been found.
Her mother,Raquel “Kelly” Smith,Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis,and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for her kidnapping. A further 10 years was added for the trafficking charge.
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The petition was launched by the founder of the Atlantis Search Unit,Monthany Hendricks,who said it was “disheartening” that Wells-Clifton would write about Joshlin when he had no ties to the child or the family.
READ | Police return to Saldanha Bay after new leads in Joshlin Smith case
“Profiting off other people’s pain is heartless. There is a family and heartbroken communities that are in pain because no one has been able to find Joshlin.
“These are real people with real situations,and,unfortunately,Joshlin is still missing,and now we have people making money off her disappearance. It’s shocking and very sad,” said Hendricks.
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Hendricks accused Wells-Clifton,who is the founder of the non-profit organisation,Pay It Forward,of “making money” off the Smith family’s heartache.
He said:
We have many missing children,and no case should be exploited to generate funding. It’s disheartening and deeply concerning to witness the unethical behaviour of individuals who use tragic situations for personal gain.
“The recent book [that will be] published by Greg,themed around the unfortunate circumstances of Joshlin Smith,is a glaring example of such exploitation. Despite the sensitivity and privacy that such cases demand,Greg wrote this book without seeking the consent of Joshlin Smith’s family,” said Hendricks.
Hendricks said Wells-Clifton’s insensitivity and lack of respect for Joshlin’s family underscore the necessity for the search unit to take a stand against such exploitative narratives.
Joshlin Smith was six years old when she disappeared from Middelpos,Saldanha Bay,last year. She is still missing.
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However,Wells-Clifton said he did not need permission from anyone to write the book and would be writing about his personal experience.
“The one person I naturally made mention of it to,is Kelly,as Joshlin’s sole caregiver. She was not ever removed from her care. She did not live with any of her other biological family.
Wells-Clifton said:
I mentioned the book to Kelly so that she is aware,and as a courtesy. She asked for a copy,put up her hands and said in as many words,‘Jy het nie nodig om vir my te vra nie. Skryf! (You don’t need to ask me. Write!)’.
He added that he did not write the book to make money,but merely to document his own experience and findings during the search for the little child.
“At the time of the search,I have given very vague descriptions of places I’ve been,people I’ve met,places I’ve searched,both alone and with others. The reasoning behind that has always been to not give away ‘too much’ to possibly the wrong person,in other words,a person who potentially may have knowledge of what happened,or is involved.
“I am writing about my journey. Naturally,Joshlin will be mentioned. The search is after all,for her,as in where she might be. The focus though,is the road travelled,so to speak,in searching.”
Wells-Clifton was asked by a number of people who followed the disappearance to write about his experience.
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He said: “It is not about the finding of Joshlin. It is not about the fact that to date,she has not been found. This,again,is about what I have done,where I have been,who I have spoken to.”
“It is certainly not the end of the road in terms of the search. I have massive respect for any person or organisation who has an ongoing search happening,and haven’t called it a day due to the convictions of the three and the indemnity granted to the Section 204 witness Laurentia “Renz” Lombaard,” he said.
Regarding the petition,Wells-Clifton said everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
“We are people. We each see things in our own way. There is an interest by people who have been interested in my journey on Joshlin’s disappearance,” he said.
READ | Joshlin Smith kidnappers fail in appeal bid,State witness a free woman
Wells-Clifton said he met with people in the Saldanha area shortly after speaking with Smith telephonically for the first time on 20 February 2024.
He said that he spoke to her again the following day,also telephonically.
“The next contact we had was when she was in Pollsmoor in April of 2024,and a few times since then,the most recent being last Saturday,23 August,in Worcester,where she is serving her sentence,” said Clifton.
Wells-Clifton said he had visited Smith,Appollis,and Van Rhyn in prison.
Clifton’s book will be sold at R440 for print copies and digitally at R410.
News24 has reached out to Smith through her lawyer,but there has been no response yet.
Meanwhile,Western Cape police commissioner,Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile,said the search for Joshlin continues.
“Police will not rest until the child has been found.”
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