KEY POINTS
- During his daughter’s disappearance trial Joske Emke suffered a collapse as a witness at his appearance in court.
- The court charges Kelly Smith and her boyfriend as well as their friend with human trafficking crimes while also accusing them of kidnapping Joshlin.
- Kelly Smith according to the social worker testimony did not accept shelter services and made the decision to travel to Cape Town.
During Western Cape High Court proceedings at Saldanha Bay on Tuesday José Emke, the father of Joshlin Smith who is six years old, ended up passing out.
At the Western Cape High Court courtroom witnesses saw Emke lose his balance so they hurried him to receive medical treatment before he could leave.
Emotional toll on Joshlin’s father
At 1:59 p.m., Emke was observed by the court personnel while he sat next to his mother in his thick navy jacket until falling unsteadily to his side.
Time passed before he lost his balance and collapsed to one side which caused a spectator from the public gallery to help him up.
Orderlies at the courtroom immediately approached the situation and brought him towards the exit while arranging his additional healthcare needs.
The state prosecutor Advocate Zelda Swanepoel revealed that Emke went through a similar health condition in the previous week. State prosecutor Advocate Zelda Swanepoel made an official request that journalists should not photograph what had occurred, as Joshlin Smith’s father collapses.
Trial enters seventh day
The court case has reached its seventh day while facing three defendants including Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith together with her boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeata’ Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn.
Warrants against the trio stem from their activities of human trafficking and the kidnapping of Joshlin since her disappearance on February 19, 2024.
Jacob Appollis was designated to care for Joshlin while her mother Kelly declared she needed to work at the moment of Joshlin’s disappearance.
Testimony from social worker about Joshlin Smith’s Father Collapses
The social worker Siliziwe Mbambo appeared in court on Tuesday to describe how Kelly Smith rejected shelter residence options after her daughter vanished.
Mbambo mentioned that Kelly declined shelter accommodation the first time which she wanted to travel to Cape Town because a political party gave access to relaxation in the city along with her children.
Kelly received information about shelter availability from social worker and police authorities while the authorities also required her to reach out both of them.
The trial continues.
