By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Cabinet applauded police and the community of Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape for the arrest of suspects in connection with the missing six-year-old Joslin Smith.
Smith, has still not been found and police renewed calls for “every citizen, every person” to help find her amid fears she may have been taken to a different city or even out of the country.
Her mother, Kelly Smith — whose full name given by prosecutors is Racquel Chantel Smith — has now been charged with kidnapping and human trafficking offenses along with three others, two men and a woman. One of the men is Smith’s boyfriend. She claimed she left Joslin with him on Feb. 19 while she went to work.
Cabinet has expressed concern about the safety of children following recent cases of child kidnappings in different parts of the country.
“Parents and caregivers must be extra vigilant regarding the safety and whereabouts of children in their care and should educate children on general safety precautions. In the spirit of Ubuntu, communities are urged to assist with taking care of children,” Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday.
Cabinet joins the nation in prayer and efforts for the safe return of many other children who have gone missing in the recent past. Cabinet calls on persons with any information on all missing children to contact their nearest police station or call Crime Stop at 08600 10111 immediately.
“It simply cannot be the norm that 30 years into our democracy women and children live in fear of being the next victim. This damning situation goes against the founding values of our constitutional democracy, which is built on human rights, human dignity and equality for all,” the Minister said.
As the world commemorated International Women’s Day on Friday, 8 March 2024, Cabinet reiterated its call on South African men to stand up and fight the scourge of Gender Based Ciolence and Femicide (GBVF).
“We call on men to take part in the 365 Days of No Violence against Women and Children Campaign,” she said.
Joslin hasn’t been found despite a major search operation involving police, firefighters, city authorities and specialized sniffer dog units around the family home near Saldanha Bay, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Cape Town on South Africa’s west coast. The national minister of police visited the area and met with Kelly Smith.
Police said a child’s clothing had been recovered last weekend near the settlement of small houses and shacks where Joslin lived. It was sent to a laboratory for forensic examination. Community members who are also involved in the search said the clothing was spattered with blood and a knife was also found. Police didn’t give any more details on what was discovered.
AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade
Cabinet says it welcomes the African Union Assembly’s adoption of key protocols and decisions affecting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“These included the first-ever Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, as well as Protocols on Investment and on Digital Trade,” said Ntshavheni.
The Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade aims to promote sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development, provide equal opportunity for women and youth in intra-Africa trade, and the structural transformation of African economies.
Ntshavheni addressed the media on Thursday on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held the previous day.
She stated that the Assembly, attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa, also agreed to several rules of origin on clothing and certain automobile products.
Cabinet also took the time to congratulate the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition for the work done to enable the start of trade under the AfCFTA preferences, with the first consignment of goods destined for Ghana and Kenya.
WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference
In addition, Ntshavheni said the Executive noted the outcome of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
They also welcomed the acceptance by the WTO of South Africa’s instrument of ratification of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement.
“South Africa became the 71st WTO Member to ratify the agreement and was honoured by having its submission done at a special ceremony in the closing session of MC13 [WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference],” Ntshavheni said.
Cabinet also said they were pleased by the accession of Timor-Leste and Comoros to the WTO, and the agreement for a gradual phase-out of benefits of countries that graduate from the ‘least developed’ country status.
On the other hand, Ntshavheni said the Executive noted with concern a number of key development goals of African countries were not concluded after opposition from larger and developed economies.
“These relate to policy space for industrialisation by developing countries, an agriculture agreement that provides greater access to developed country markets and opportunities for farmers in the global south, further measures to avoid over-fishing and steps to roll back unilateral and unjustified green protectionism measures such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) of the European Union,” the Minister said.