Breaking: Gayton lied says private investigator
When Gayton McKenzie launched the Joshlin Smith Foundation last weekend, he claimed he had hired a private investigator to find the missing girl from Saldanha, Western Cape. However, Tyrone Power, the investigator he referred to, stated that McKenzie’s claims are not true.
Power, speaking to Rapport, clarified that while he is investigating the Joshlin Smith case, he is doing it for free for the family. “I read things in the media and wonder whether Gayton is talking about me or perhaps about someone else he did appoint. I work for free for Joshlin’s family and was not appointed by him. Some of the things he says, I did not say,” Power commented.
Joshlin Smith has been missing since February 2024 after disappearing from the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay. Her mother, Kelly Smith, along with two accomplices, Boeta Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, were arrested and sentenced last year for human trafficking and kidnapping in relation to Joshlin’s disappearance.
At the launch of the foundation, McKenzie expressed his belief that other individuals were involved in the case as well. He mentioned that a state witness, Laurentia Lombaard, is ready to provide additional information about her boyfriend, who he alleges could be the mastermind behind the kidnapping. McKenzie further stated that law enforcement considers Joshlin to still be alive.
Power disputed McKenzie’s account, asserting, “[Lombaard] never said she wanted to talk to the police or that her child was assaulted. That’s not true. I also did not say Joshlin is still alive. I said I regard her as alive until we have forensic evidence that proves the contrary.” He claims he has uncovered new evidence and has shared it with the police.
Although Power previously received some support from McKenzie for expenses, he has clarified that he is not working for him and has since cut ties. Power emphasized that he is driven by a deep concern for Joshlin’s case, saying it troubled him that she just vanished.
