Joslin Smith Trial to Move to Cape Town As Court Continues to Hear About Suspects’ Alleged Assault

• The trial into the disappearance of Joslin Smith will be moved to the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town
• Judge Nathan Erasmus stated that he had commitments in Cape Town once the new court term began on 15 April 2025
• The case is currently dealing with the alleged assault of suspects, Jacquin Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WESTERN CAPE – The trial into the disappearance of Joslin Smith will be heading to Cape Town when the new court term starts.

The trial, which began on 3 March 2025, has been heard at the Saldanha Bay Multipurpose Centre to allow for affected community members to attend.

Joslin’s mother, Raquel “Kelly” Smith, Jacquin “Boeta" Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn all face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking concerning her disappearance. The trio have all pleaded not guilty.

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Trial to move to Cape Town

With the new court term starting on 15 April, Judge Nathan Erasmus confirmed that he would be unable to be based in Saldanha Bay for the next few months due to commitments he had in Cape Town.

On Tuesday, 8 April, the judge confirmed that there would be no sitting of the trial on Monday, 14 April due to his commitments at the office in Cape Town, but that the case would resume on Tuesday, 15 April.

Erasmus added that he would update all relevant parties when he had further confirmation of the date when the matter would be transferred from Saldanha Bay.

Once the new term starts, Erasmus cannot travel to Saldanha Bay daily, which requires the remainder of the trial to be heard at the Western Cape High Court. The distance from Cape Town and Saldanha Bay is approximately 129.2 km, and it would take someone between 1 hr 34 min and 2 hrs to make the trip.

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Some of the witnesses who have appeared in the ongoing trial have been making the journey daily until they were called to testify. The judge, prosecutors and defence team have all been booked into accommodation in Saldanha Bay during the trial.

Court proceedings dealing with alleged assault

The proceedings have reached an interesting phase as the court is dealing with a trial within a trial.

The judge will have to decide whether statements made by Appollis and van Rhyn are admissible during the main trial.

The pair allege that police officers assaulted them following their arrest, forcing them to say things in their statements which were not true. Officers and medical professionals who dealt with the pair following their arrest in 2024 have been testifying about their interactions with the duo and the injuries they allege to have sustained at the hands of law enforcement officials.

Judge Erasmus is hoping to wrap up the trial-within-a-trial portion before proceedings are moved to Cape Town.

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What you need to know about the Joslin Smith trial

• Kelly admitted that she was high on drugs on the day Joslin disappeared.
• Kelly's sister claims she was told that Joslin was still in Saldanha Bay a week after her disappearance.
• State witness Lourentia Lombaard said Kelly confessed that she sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20,000.
• Lombaard testified that she and her boyfriend were tortured for three weeks at a house in Langebaan.
• Gayton McKenzie claims the Saldanha Bay mayor was involved in Joslin’s disappearance.

State witness denies van Rhyn and Appollis were assaulted

Briefly News reported that Brigadier Leon Hanana denied that van Rhyn and Appollis were assaulted by the Sea Border officers in Saldanha Bay.

Hanana, the Western Cape’s Head of the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit, took to the stand on 1 April 2025 in the ongoing trial into Joslin’s disappearance.

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Hanana stated that he didn’t witness any assault taking place, and neither did the duo report being assaulted by officers during that period.

Source: Briefly News