Joslin Smith: Lourentia Lombaard Said Kelly Was Allegedly Paid To Keep Quiet About Selling Joslin

• State witness Lourentia Lombaard said Kelly Smith received payments to keep silent about selling her daughter, Joslin
• Lombaard testified during her first appearance that Kelly sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20,000
• She also added that the sangoma wanted Joslin's eyes and skin and tried to stop the sale from happening

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

WESTERN CAPE — Former suspect turned state-witness Lourentia Lombaard revealed during the Joslin Smith disappearance trial on 17 March 2025 that Kelly received payments from an unknown person to silence her from revealing what happened to Joslin.

What did Lombaard say?

Lombaard testified during the third week of the trial into Joslin's disappearance at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape, where the Western Cape High Court is hosting a sitting. Lombaard said that she regretted what happened because she too is a mother of four children. She remarked that she tried to prevent Kelly from selling her child, but Kelly did not listen to her.

Read also

Joslin Smith Trial: Lourentia Lombaard cracks under cross-examination and seemingly changes story

She said she saw Smith and her co-accused, Jacquin Appollis, walking to their home with a man and woman she could not identify. When she called her, Kelly rebuked her and told her not to call her name so loudly because people were looking for her. She also said Kelly told her that someone was aware of what she had done to her daughter. She was also receiving payments from an unidentified person to keep quiet.

The former accused-cum-witness

Lombaard is a key witness in the case for, quite frankly, a few reasons.

And for the past three days, since 13 March, she has provided compelling evidence in the trial. Her role as a key witness has been described as crucial.

A mother of four, she has testified that her former friend, Smith, confessed to selling Joslin to a Sangoma.

Aside from her testimony about the alleged financial motivations, she provided explosive details about a Sangoma, expanding on the muti theory which has emerged in the case, and their specific reasons for wanting Joslin.

Read also

Joslin Smith: Uncle makes plea for case to focus on Joslin and not his siblings' looks

What you need to know about Joslin Smith's case

• Joslin's disappearance in February 2024 sparked national concern and the authorities strengthened their efforts to search for her.
• Kelly admitted to doing drugs during the trial which happened a year after her daughter disappeared.
• Her former employee's daughter said Kelly was not at her house doing domestic work as she previously claimed in a police statement.
• Joslin's father, Jose Emke, collapsed during the court proceedings after hearing testimony from a social worker.

What you need to know about Lombaard's involvement

• Lombaard was one of the suspects who were arrested in March 2024, a month after Joslin went missing from her Middlepos informal settlement home.
• She was later released and turned state witness after the state could not find evidence tying her to Joslin's disappearance.
• She began testifying on the second week of the trial, which began in March this year.
• She alleged that Kelly sold her daughter for R20,000 to a sangoma.

Read also

Joslin Smith trial: Defence lawyer pokes holes in Lombaard’s testimony during cross-examination

South Africans don't believe her

Netizens commenting on TimesLIVE's Facebook post slammed Lombaard.

Joana Kubheka said:

"She and that Kelly are the same."

Kifiloe Fiffy Tsotetsi asked:

"Why didn't she inform the police about this right then? Or inform the child's grandmother?"

Peter Mphoka asked:

"Why did she keep quiet?"

Descent Tshabalala said:

"She must be arrested too. She knew about the plan even before it was done."

Ntebogeng Ntebo asked:

"Why didn't she call the cops?"

Sangoma allegedly wanted Joslin Smith's eyes and skin

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Lombaard testified that the sangoma who allegedly bought Joslin wanted her for her eyes and her skin. She spoke during the third week of the trial on 17 March 2025.

Lombaard's testimony came after she claimed that Kelly sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20,000. Lombaard was also arrested for Joslin's disappearance but has since turned state witness.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News