The trial into the disappearance of Joshlin Smith entered its third week in the Western Cape High Court sitting in Saldanha in the Western Cape.
Former accused turned state witness, Laurentia Lombaard has been on the stand since Thursday concluded her evidence in chief on Monday for the state.
Lombaard told the court she did not initially tell police the truth.
Jacquen 'Boeta' Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn, and Joshlin’s mother Kelly Smith are on trial in Saldanha and face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.
The trio have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Lombaard expressed remorse on the stand when asked how she felt following the incident and regarding her involvement.
“I feel very hurt. I am a mother of four and I didn’t know the plans Kelly and Boeta had. I only overheard them at a later stage about plans to sell the child. I tried to stop her [Kelly] but she wouldn’t listen,” Lombaard said, getting emotional on the stand.
“Wherever she is [Joshlin] ... I appeal to whoever may have the child. Please bring her home. I hope the child is alive. I am so sorry that I was involved,” Lombaard said.
She also remained adamant that the testimony she was giving the court was the truth.
She also dropped a bombshell.
Lombaard said she saw Kelly again the Friday (February 23, 2024) following Joshlin’s disappearance.
Kelly said: “Renz, I know what I did to Joshlin. There was someone that paid me to keep quiet”.
Lombaard stated she asked who was paying her to keep quiet, but Kelly never mentioned the name.
“She said the person who was looking for Joshlin was looking for her because they wanted her [Joshlin’s] eyes and skin,” Lombaard said.
Next on the stand was Kelly’s sister. Mickeyla Daniels, a police constable attached to the Public Order Policing (POP) in Upington in the Northern Cape told the court Kelly was the eldest of five children.
Daniels said she was contacted on February 20, 2024, by her mother who explained that Joshlin had disappeared.
“I sent Kelly a message before 1pm. She did not reply. I sent another message before 7pm to ask if Joshlin had been found. She didn’t answer. I called her on Facebook messenger, but she did not answer,” Daniels said.
On February 21, 2024, Daniels received a voice note from Kelly stating Joshlin had not been found yet but claimed she ‘will get her back’ that day.
Daniels testified she asked Kelly where Joshlin was, and, in her own words, Kelly said: “My sister, my kind is hier in die plakkerskamp. Iemand wil my kind verkoop maar Saldanha is nou ‘n hotspot. (my child is here in the informal settlement. Someone wants to sell my child, but Saldanha is currently a hotspot).”
The third witness for the day was Paulina Tshosa.
She testified a woman, later identified as Kelly, argued with a man. She also witnessed a child nearby.
Tshosa told the court that the woman and what she assumed was her partner had an ugly argument, and the woman took the child, saying: ‘ek gaan jou wys (I will show you)’. She testified she saw Kelly pulling the child and heading into the shack. She also saw Joshlin show Kelly a pink flip-flop. At the time, she heard what sounded like pots and dishes falling.
“I thought she was fighting with her husband and taking her frustrations out on the child,” Tshosa said.
Tshosa said on February 20, 2024, a colleague at school showed her a picture from a local social media group announcing Joshlin’s disappearance.
“When I saw the picture, I said this child’s mother must tell the truth about where the child is. This child did not disappear,” Tshosa said.
The trial continues.