Lourencia Lombaard’s Lawyer Argues for Full Immunity for Her, Says Her Testimony Secured Convictions
- Lourencia Lombaard appeared in the Western Cape High Court in the ongoing Joslin Smith trial
- Judge Nathan Erasmus is set to rule on whether Lombaard should be granted immunity in the matter
- Erasmus will also rule on Kelly Smith, Jacquin Lombaard and Steveno van Rhyn's leave to appeal applications
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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 - Lourencia Lombaard’s attorney has argued that she should be granted immunity from all charges against her.
Lombaard, a Section 204 witness in the Joslin Smith trial, appeared in the Western Cape High Court on 12 August 2025. Lombaard, who was originally arrested and charged with the kidnapping and human trafficking of the Saldanha Bay youngster.
She then became a State witness, testifying against the accused in order to be granted immunity from prosecution.
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What did her legal representative argue?
During her appearance in court, her legal representative, Advocate Eben van Tonder, argued that she should be granted immunity on all charges because the court didn’t reject her evidence. He added that the judgment relied on evidence presented by Lombaard, which then led to the conviction of Kelly Smith, Jacquin Lombaard and Steveno van Rhyn.
Lombaard claimed in her evidence that Kelly confessed that a Sangoma offered R20,000 for Joslin. According to her testimony, Kelly offered her money to keep quiet about the crime.
Advocate van Tonder also noted that his client was subjected to vigorous testimony in chief and extensive cross-examination, all while in a new environment in a case that attracted large public interest.
He added that this was extremely stressful for her as well, which resulted in her needing medical attention during the proceedings. He added that it was only natural then that she would have made some errors.
You can watch his reasoning below.
Lombaard was criticised during the trial, with the defence lawyers painting her out to be an unreliable witness.
What will happen next in the proceedings?
After his brief submission, Advocate van Tonder was excused as Judge Nathan Erasmus explained that he would only decide on Lombaard once he had heard from all the attorneys.
He stated that Advocates Fanie Harmse, Nobahle Mkabayi, and Rinesh Sivnarain would then present their case about why their clients should be granted leave to appeal his decisions, before the State would be allowed to respond.
The State will respond to the submissions made by the three attorneys before responding to the issue of Lombaard’s immunity.
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What you need to know about Lombaard’s involvement during the trial
- Lombaard testified in court that Kelly admitted to selling Joslin to a sangoma for R20,000.
- The State witness further claimed that the sangoma wanted Joslin for her skin and her eyes.
- Lombaard also told the court that she and her boyfriend were tortured for three weeks by community members.
- Defence advocate Fanie Harmse, who represented Appollis, poked holes in Lombaard’s testimony.
- Rinesh Sivnarain alleged that Lombaard and Ayanda Letoni were behind Joslin’s disappearance.
- The defence challenged the credibility of Lombaard’s evidence during its closing arguments.
Smith, Appolliss and Van Rhyn appeal judge’s rulings
Briefly News reported on 19 June 2025 that Kelly, Appollis, and van Rhyn were appealing their convictions and sentences.
The trio were sentenced to life behind bars for the human trafficking of Saldanha Bay youngster, Joslin Smith.
The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the application for leave of appeal had been filed.
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Source: Briefly News
