Questions Surround Gayton McKenzie’s Joshlin Smith Foundation Pledge
In July 2024, Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie made headlines with his pledge to donate his entire annual ministerial salary of R2.68 million to the establishment of the Joshlin Smith Foundation for missing children. The foundation, suppose to named after six-year-old Joshlin Smith, who disappeared from Saldanha Bay in February 2024, was supposed to provide assistance to families of missing children. However, as of March 2025, there is still no official registration of the foundation, raising serious questions about the credibility of McKenzie’s commitment.
Where is the Joshlin Smith Foundation?
Despite McKenzie’s public declarations and widespread media attention, the foundation remains non-existent in any official capacity. This has sparked criticism from various quarters, with many questioning why, after nearly a year, no tangible progress has been made. Establishing a foundation typically involves legal registration, appointing a board, and setting up operational structures—processes that do not require millions of rands.
If McKenzie’s full salary was indeed allocated to the cause, why has the foundation not materialized? Where has the money gone? And if the foundation was truly intended to help all missing children, why has its implementation been so delayed?
A Political Strategy?
McKenzie’s involvement in the Joshlin Smith case earned him substantial public support, particularly among communities outraged by the slow progress in solving the case. However, critics argue that his focus on this particular case, while ignoring countless other missing children across the country, suggests a political agenda rather than a genuine commitment to the cause. Social media platforms are flooded daily with reports of missing children, yet McKenzie has not publicly championed any other cases with the same vigor.
Was the pledge to fund the foundation merely a strategic move to gain public favor? And what about the parents of other missing children—must they wait for a high-profile court case before their children receive similar attention?
The Need for Transparency
If McKenzie is serious about supporting missing children, he must provide clear answers
- Why has the Joshlin Smith Foundation not been registered?
- Where has the R2.68 million been allocated?
- Will the foundation, if ever established, be based in Saldanha Bay, or was this simply a political stunt?
- Why does McKenzie’s advocacy seem limited to this one case?
Until these questions are answered, skepticism will continue to grow, and the families of missing children will remain without the promised support. The public deserves transparency, and the truth must come to light.
