Police Minister Bheki Cele has assured the Saldanha Bay community that no resource will be spared in finding the missing Joslin Smith.
Cele and the police management met with Joslin’s family and Diazville residents over the weekend.
It’s been two weeks since the Grade 1 pupil, went missing.
The top brass also rejected claims that the police had withdrawn from the search.
In fact, the police say, a helicopter had been withdrawn, but its K9 dog patrols and investigators are still actively involved in the search.
Blood-stained clothing items, which were found in a field about a kilometre away from where Joslin lived with her mother, have now been sent for forensic testing.
Cele has commended the community for their unity and common purpose during the search for the little girl.
“ From the community, what I would urge is to work together. Let’s just say here, our main prize, for now, is Joslin, that’s our main prize. Any other thing after her can be done”.
Advocacy group, the Western Cape Missing Persons Unit is calling for an end to the politicising of the search for Joslin.
The EFF and Patriotic Alliance have also participated in the search.
The Unit’s Candice van der Rheede says people need to be sensitive.
“It’s disappointing that people would use the disappearance of the child to further their political careers. It’s disappointing that they waited for this opportunity. I would call them opportunists because they waited for an opportunity like this just before the elections”.
The unit says FOUR other children are currently missing in the province.
But, van der Rheede says government and political parties are quiet about them.
“ We searched endlessly for those children but the searches were stopped. I want to know what the government and SAPS are doing for those children who are still missing. Is it because the election (campaigns) were not in a period that they went missing. Because I see everybody is making a big hoo-ha of this case, what about the other children?”.
Picture: South African Police Service
