By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The mother of a missing six-year-old girl, Joslin Smith who has been charged with trafficking and kidnapping, has abandoned her bail request.
Kelly Smith, boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn have all withdrawn their efforts to be freed on bail.
Appollis, Van Rhyn, and Smith still face charges of trafficking in persons and kidnapping.
Court proceedings in the Vredenburg Magistrates’ Court were delayed for more than an hour on Wednesday morning due to angry confrontations outside the court.
Four people are accused in Joslin’s disappearance, and police appeared to struggle to control an angry crowd.
Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd after stones were thrown.
Scores of people clashed with police outside court, demanding swift justice for the missing Joslin.
During Wednesday’s court appearance, Phumza Sigaqa, who is suspected of being a sangoma, accused of being involved in the disappearance of Joslin, had her charges dropped because of a lack of evidence.
The State told the court there were still a number of outstanding documentation pertaining to the investigation such as cell phone data and witness statements.
It was confirmed that police were following up several leads on the whereabouts of Joslin.
Sigaqa will be released from custody while the other three have been remanded in custody.
The matter has been postponed until May 13, for further investigation.
It has been 23 days since the Grade 1 student from Diazville vanished without a trace on February 19, shortly after 5pm.
Bloodied clothes were recently found in an open field and the police have taken them for DNA testing.
Since the disappearance of six-year-old in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape, police and the local mayor have repeatedly urged those searching and social media users not to spread misinformation.