Lourencia Lombaard’s Family Ready to Welcome Her Home After 1 Year, but Saldanha Bay Community Isn’t

• Lourencia "Renz" Lombaard will be released from witness protection soon, much to the relief of her family
• Lombaard's brother, Jobin Kose, detailed how tough it was without being able to communicate with her for over a year
• The community of Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape don't want Lombaard to return to the area, as many felt she should have been jailed

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 “Renz” Lombaard is soon to be a free woman, and her family couldn’t be happier.

Renz, who was arrested alongside Racquel “Kelly” Smith, Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn in connection with the disappearance of Joslin Smith, has been separated from her family and children for over a year.

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She has been in witness protection ever since she chose to testify against the trio, but is expected to be released within the week after being granted immunity from prosecution by Judge Nathan Erasmus.

With her release imminent, her brother has expressed relief that they will be reunited again, even if it may not be in Saldanha Bay.

What did Lombaard’s brother say?

Speaking exclusively to News24, Jobin Kose stated that they knew she would not be welcome in Saldanha Bay, but they were just looking forward to her return.

"Our main priority is my sister's safety. She hasn't seen her four kids in a very long time. She has been isolated from all of us, and I am sure that she wants to make up for lost time and try to move forward," he said.

He described how difficult it was for the family not to have had contact with her for over a year. They relied on video clips from inside the court to see that she was alive and well. On the few occasions that he was able to attend court, he could see his sister testify but wasn’t allowed to communicate with her.

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Why can’t Lombaard return to Saldanha Bay?

Kose stated that tensions remain high in Saldanha Bay as his family members are treated badly.

"Some of my family members still live in Saldanha. My wife and child are there still, and it's been difficult to move around freely because people know us. When I went to Saldanha while on leave, we were treated horribly. People use bad words towards us and told us to leave. But where must we go?” he asked.

Members of the community have also been vocal about their unhappiness with Lombard, saying that she must not return to the area. Residents are unhappy that Lombaard was not jailed for her role in Joslin’s disappearance, or that she only chose to speak up after the little girl went missing.

While Lombaard is a free woman, Smith, Appollis and van Rhyn aren't that lucky. After their application for leave to appeal was denied, they will have to consider other options.

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Speaking to Briefly News about the matter, lawyer Karishma Sewgobin explained that they would have to appeal to a full bench (two or more judges) within 14 days of the sentence or conviction.

"The appeal is based on an error that the appellant alleges the judge made. If the appeal is dismissed, they can appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal and /or the Constitutional Court. But if all appeals are dismissed, then they do not have any other recourse," she explained.

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.

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Lombaard verdict sparks division in Middlepos

Briefly News reported that Middlepos residents reacted with mixed feelings to Lombaard’s immunity from prosecution.

Lombaard was granted immunity by Judge Erasmus after testifying against her co-accused.

Some praised her for providing key evidence in the trial, while others were unhappy that she went along with the plan.

Bail denied for one of the suspects arrested for 4-year-old child’s drug case

Briefly News reported that the Johannesburg Magistrates Court denied the bail application of one of the suspects arrested for allegedly giving a child drugs.

Four people from Newclare were arrested in August after a video of them forcing a four-year-old to smoke a pipe went viral.

The judge ruled that the accused might endanger the community, and South Africans were happy that he would remain behind bars.

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

Source: Briefly News