Joslin Smith Trial: Former Accused Lourentia Lombaard Takes To Witness Stand To Begin Testimony
- The much-anticipated testimony of accused-turned-State-witness, Lourentia Lombaard, began in the Joslin Smith disappearance trial
- The State withdrew kidnapping and human trafficking charges against Lombaard and another suspect due to a lack of evidence
- Lombaard testified to going to Kelly's house the day before Joslin's disappearance, ahead of the trial adjournment on day nine
Source: Twitter
Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist and the Head of Current Affairs at Briefly News. He reported live from President Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents, and topics including sports at The Herald and Opera News SA over several years.
SALDANHA BAY — The Joslin Smith disappearance trial neared the end of the second week on Thursday, 13 March 2025, with accused-cum-State witness Lourentia Lombaard beginning her much-anticipated testimony.
Since 3 March, the State has called on numerous witnesses, who have testified in the matter in the Western Cape Circuit Court in Saldanha Bay.
Lombaard begins witness testimony
Joslin's mother, Kelly Smith, her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, and their friend, Steveno van Rhyn, face kidnapping and human trafficking charges.
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They are believed to have sold Joslin from the Middelpos informal settlement in Diazville on Monday, 19 February 2024, to fuel their drug habit.
However, the trio has pleaded not guilty.
One of the two others previously charged in the case, Lourentia Lombaard, has since turned State witness. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew charges against her and Phumza Sigaqa due to a lack of evidence.
Contrary to her dishevelled look when she was arraigned at the Vredenburg Magistrate's Court in March 2024, Lombaard took the stand after lunch sporting make-up, lipstick and a high-fade haircut.
The mother of four, originally from Wolseley in the Western Cape, briefly explained making her way with two of her children — aged two and three — whom she has with her ex-boyfriend, Ayanda Litoli, an alleged drug dealer.
Source: Twitter
She revealed that she and the minors, who lived with Litoli in the Eastern Cape, were visiting with her, and they were on their way to see Kelly the day before Joslin's disappearance.
Lombaard recalled seeing a bakkie, whose colour she didn't mention, on the way to the shack. During a moment in her testimony, the defence objected to the prosecution's wording of the bakkie as a vehicle, arguing Lombaard's statement did not mention the word "vehicle".
However, the presiding officer, Judge Nathan Erasmus, told the prosecution that a bakkie is a vehicle.
Testifying further, Lombaard admitted to falling into a drug habit after moving to Saldanha Bay and revealed how she met Kelly, Appollis and van Rhyn.
"I've known Kelly for over a year, Boeta [Appollis] for a year and Steveno — who I don't know well — for about seven or eight months. I met him while he was asking for money from Ayanda at the carwash where he [van Rhyn] was helping him," she testified.
She said her connection to Boeta was through Ayanda and their alleged drug dealings.
"Boeta would buy or help sell the drugs. We would go and buy drugs together and smoke," said Lombaard, detailing how she engaged in smoking with Kelly and sometimes Boeta.
"I didn’t spend much time with Steveno. Kelly would borrow me her 'lollie' to use for Tik. I became close with Boeta because if I wasn't smoking with her, I'd smoke with him, and regularly."
The trial adjourned with Lombaard set to resume on Friday.
What you need to know about the Joslin Smith case
- Kelly admitted to smoking drugs and getting high on the day Joslin Smith disappeared from Middelpos.
- Detective Sergeant Meyer Milstein testified to doubting the suspects' truthfulness about Joslin's disappearance.
- A former employer described Kelly as a good mother who had a good relationship with her children.
- In March 2024, 15,000 people signed an online petition to deny bail to Joslin Smith's disappearance suspects.
- During a search for Joslin, bloodstained clothing was found in Diazville and linked to the missing 6-year-old.
- On 28 February 2025, CCTV footage sparked hope that Joslin Smith was alive, though there were doubts over the claims.
- The court ordered an inspection in-loco at the Middelpos informal settlement, where the community berated the accused.
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Source: Briefly News
Tshepiso Mametela (Current Affairs Writer) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He was the Head of Current Affairs at Briefly News. He was a mid-level reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a general reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops organised by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism, including crime and court reporting.
Roxanne Dos Ramos (Proofreader) Roxanne Dos Ramos is a copy editor who began her career in financial information before transitioning into media. She holds an MSc in Geology from the University of Stellenbosch (2017). She has worked in editorial and language services teams at leading organizations such as Fitch Solutions, AlphaSights, and Cadence. With years of experience in quality control and team coordination, she specializes in content refinement, SEO implementation, and editorial management. Roxanne joined Briefly News in 2024 and has over five years of editorial experience. Email: roxanne.dos.ramos@briefly.co.za
