In a shocking twist to the case of a missing 6-year-old girl in South Africa, her mother has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and selling or trafficking her daughter. The incident has not only seized the country's attention but also sparked deep anger in the small, poor coastal community where the family resides.

The girl, identified as Joslin Smith, has been missing for nearly three weeks and authorities are growing increasingly concerned that she may have been taken to a different city or even out of the country. Local media had previously reported allegations made by neighbors, claiming that the mother had sold Joslin for just over $1,000.

Tensions escalated further when a child's discarded clothing was found near Joslin's home over the weekend. The discovery intensified emotions and raised fears for her safety. The mother, Kelly Smith, also known as Racquel Chantel Smith according to prosecutors, has now been charged along with three others - two men and a woman - who are believed to be involved in the case. One of the men involved is Smith's boyfriend. She asserts that she left Joslin with him on February 19th while she went to work, but Joslin was reported missing on that same day.

The suspects appeared in court but did not enter a plea in response to the charges. Another court hearing has been scheduled for the following week, while the accused individuals will remain in custody, as confirmed by prosecutors.

Despite a significant search operation involving police, firefighters, city authorities, and specialized sniffer dog units around the family home near Saldanha Bay, Joslin has not been located. The national minister of police visited the area and held a meeting with Kelly Smith. The search efforts even led to the recovery of a child's clothing, covered in blood, near the settlement of small houses and shacks where Joslin resided. A knife was also found, but no further details were provided by the police.

According to court documents released on Thursday, it is alleged that Kelly Smith and the other suspects conspired to abduct Joslin and subsequently sold, delivered, or exchanged her. The main charge of human trafficking carries a potential life sentence if the accused are convicted.

As the four suspects left the courthouse in an armored police van, a large crowd gathered outside, chanting "Justice for Joslin" repeatedly. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of making additional arrests, but they emphasized the need to refocus their efforts on locating Joslin. Western Cape province police commissioner Thembisile Patekile expressed the urgent goal of finding Joslin alive.

Authorities have faced some confusion regarding the spelling of the girl's name, as police identified her as Joslin while prosecutors referred to her as Joshlin in their documents. The exact spelling of her name has yet to be verified.

The case of the missing 6-year-old girl continues to grip the nation as the search intensifies, and the alleged involvement of her own mother adds an even more distressing dimension to an already troubling situation.