International News
Missing South African girl was wanted for her ‘eyes and skin’
Executive Mayor Andrè Truter/ FacebookA young South African girl who disappeared last year aged six was allegedly sought by a traditional healer for her eyes and fair complexion, a court has heard.
This is among the allegations that have emerged at the ongoing trial of Joshlin Smith’s mother, Kelly Smith, who has been accused of orchestrating her kidnapping.
Ms Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn have pleaded not guilty to charges of human trafficking and kidnapping.
Joshlin’s disappearance in February 2024 from outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town, sent shockwaves across South Africa and, despite a highly publicised search for her, she is yet to be found.
Ms Smith initially said that Joshlin, who has a fair complexion and blue-green eyes, had gone missing after she had left her in Mr Appollis’s care.
Prosecutors later accused her of having “sold, delivered or exchanged” the six-year-old and lied about her disappearance.
The trial, which is now in its third week, is being held at a community centre in Saldanha.
During the first week of the trial, the court heard details about the day Joshlin went missing, including that Ms Smith only alerted the police more than six hours after she had first noticed that the young girl had disappeared.
The court also heard that she appeared calm during the frantic search and seemed more concerned about her boyfriend’s whereabouts than the missing child.
More shocking claims emerged in the second week.
A local pastor said that as far back as 2023, he had heard Ms Smith – a mother of three – talk of selling her children for 20,000 rand ($1,100, £850) each, though she had said she was willing to accept a lower figure of $275.
Joshlin’s teacher then alleged in court that Ms Smith had told her during the search that her daughter was already “on a ship, inside a container, and they were on the way to West Africa”.
These revelations paled in comparison to the explosive details made by Lourentia Lombaard, a friend and neighbour of Ms Smith, who turned state witness.
She took the stand last Thursday and, over three days, detailed the events in the lead up to Joshlin’s disappearance that involved a traditional healer, known in South Africa as a “sangoma”.
Ms Lombaard alleged that her friend confessed to her: “I did something silly … I sold my child to a sangoma”, adding that she had been driven by a desperate need for money.
Joshlin’s mother promised those who knew of the plan some money in return for their silence, Ms Lombaard said.
She told the court that she later witnessed Ms Smith pack some clothes for Joshlin into a black bag, which she then saw her carry as the two walked to meet a woman Ms Lombaard believes was the sangoma.
Mother and daughter got into a white car and drove away with the woman, Ms Lombaard said.
Speaking on Monday, her last day on the stand, Ms Lombaard told the court that the “person who [allegedly took] Joshlin wanted her for her eyes and skin”.
It was not made clear in court why a sangoma would want a child like this.
A woman believed to be a traditional healer was initially arrested and charged alongside Ms Smith and her co-accused last year, but the charges against her were eventually dropped because of a lack of evidence.
Sangomas are legally recognised in South Africa under the Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2007, alongside herbalists, traditional birth attendants and traditional surgeons.
It is believed that ancestral spirits are able to provide advice and healing through these culturally respected practitioners.
Some charlatans are involved in unscrupulous traditional so-called cures, and have been known to sell good luck charms that involve body parts.
Ms Lombaard expressed sorrow over her role in Joshlin’s disappearance, saying that she had tried, without success, to stop Ms Smith from selling her daughter.
She appealed to whoever had taken the young girl to “please bring her back alive”.
The trial is expected to run until 28 March.
BBC
International News
Nottingham Forest Sacks 5th Manager In 10 Months, To Wrap Up Oliver Glasner’s Deal
Oliver Glasner is in advanced talks to replace Vitor Pereira as Nottingham Forest head coach, a move which would see the Austrian become the club’s fifth manager in less than a year.
Pereira announced his departure from the club in a statement on Wednesday, saying that it came as a “complete surprise to me and without any warning”.
Glasner is a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace — where he won the FA Cup in 2024-25 and then the Community Shield and Conference League the following campaign — and is set to stay in the Premier League.
The 51-year-old confirmed in January that he would leave Palace at the end of the season after two years in charge.
On Thursday, Forest confirmed Pereira’s coaching staff Filipe Almeida, Luis Miguel, Bruno Moura, Marco Knoop and Pedro Lopes had all left the club alongside the head coach.
Pereira, 57, was appointed Forest head coach in February on an 18-month contract which runs until 2027.
The Athletic reported in May Forest had been planning to show their faith in Pereira by handing the head coach a new long-term contract, but those talks were subsequently put on hold.
“Today marks the end of my journey as head coach of Nottingham Forest,” he said in his statement.
“I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone connected with this incredible football club. Although this decision came as a complete surprise to me and without any warning, I fully respect the club’s right to make the decisions it believes are best for its future.
“Naturally, I am disappointed and saddened. I truly believed in what we were building together, and I leave with a sense of pride in everything we achieved over the past months.
“Together, we enjoyed a memorable end to the season. We secured the club’s Premier League status, reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, and created moments that will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I saw a group of players grow in confidence, belief and togetherness.
“I leave Nottingham Forest with no bitterness or resentment—only respect, gratitude and wonderful memories. Football is full of unexpected moments, and while this chapter has ended sooner than I expected, I will always look back on my time here with pride and affection.”
The Portuguese succeeded Sean Dyche and was Forest’s fourth permanent boss of the season following the departures of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.
Nuno had led Forest to Europa League qualification the previous season but he departed in September, less than three months after signing a new deal. Postecoglou was appointed his replacement but was dismissed just 39 days later. Dyche took charge of the team in October before his dismissal in February.
Forest were three points above the relegation zone when Pereira was appointed and he subsequently steered his side to Premier League safety with two games of the campaign remaining.
His appointment marked his second managerial spell in the Premier League after guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers to safety during the 2024-25 campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo has publicly countered suggestions from his sister, Katia Aveiro, that he intends to retire from international football following the World Cup.
The Portuguese legend recently led his team to the round of 16 following a 2-1 victory over Croatia.
Ronaldo continued to be a pivotal player for his country, having scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot after going one goal down in the second half.
Following his goal, he became the oldest player to score in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.
Reports from Portuguese media had quoted Aveiro stating that the current tournament would be Ronaldo’s final appearance for the national team.
Before the recent match against Croatia, Aveiro was quoted as saying, “From the information I have, from a reliable source, I believe that this is the last dance, so let’s enjoy it. I strongly believe this is the farewell.”
However, the football icon has made it clear that his focus remains solely on the present, not on his future.
“My future isn’t important right now,” Ronaldo stated. “I’ll have time; after winning or losing, I’ll talk to my family and then make the best decision.”
The legendary forward, who recently secured a trophy in Saudi Arabia, holds the record for both appearances and goals for his national team, with 146 goals in 232 caps.
The UEFA Appeals Body has announced that Czech club Karvina is banned from participating in next season’s Europa League. UEFA made the decision based on competition regulations, ruling that Karvina “directly or indirectly participated in activities aimed at manipulating or influencing the results of domestic matches,” as stated in the official resolution.
As a result of this decision, Karvina’s spot as domestic cup winner will be taken by Viktoria Plzeň, with Viktoria Plzeň’s second qualifying round spot going to Hradec Králové. Jablonec will fill the vacant Conference League spot originally held by Hradec Králové.
In the Europa League, Hradec Králové will face Tromsø. In the Conference League, Jablonec will face Varaždin.
Viktoria Plzeň will learn their opponent in the Europa League playoff draw on Monday, August 3.
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