Emotions were raw as residents of Saldanha Bay gathered on Wednesday to mark one year since the disappearance of Joshlin Smith from her home in the west coast town about 100km northwest of Cape Town.

The child's mother is one of the prime suspects implicated in her abduction and is facing trial in the high court with two co-accused.

Patriotic Alliance members joined community members to commemorate the life of the “green-eyed girl” outside the home she vanished from.

“I was asked yesterday [Tuesday] why this case was so big internationally and I said it was because of this community and the whole country that said ‘your child is my child’,” said former local councillor Vernon Vraagom.

“I still receive messages from people saying they are praying for Joshlin’s return. I have even received messages from people saying they are praying for Kelly,” he told the community. Tears flowed during a moment of silence for the missing girl.

News of the six-year-old's disappearance shocked the country when it emerged that her mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, allegedly sold her daughter for R20,000. Smith, her boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn face kidnapping and human trafficking charges.

Pastor Francisco “Koffie” Tejada said though a year had passed people had not forgotten about Joshlin but continued to search and pray for her return.

Joshlin, he added, changed many lives by bringing a community together to search for her.

According to the state's case, Kelly allegedly made it known in August 2023 that she planned to have her three children taken away or sold in January or February 2024. 

Smith and her daughter allegedly got into a white vehicle on February 19 2024 and it drove away. “Later the same night [Kelly] started looking for Joshlin and reported her missing to the police. Despite ongoing investigations into the whereabouts of Joshlin she has still not been found.”

Joshlin, would have been in grade 2 at Diazville Primary School in Saldanha.  

TimesLIVE Premium previously reported that months after her disappearance her teacher would light a candle every morning and pray for her safe return.