The lawyer representing Steveno van Rhyn, one of the accused in the trial regarding the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith, on Monday questioned the state witness’s intention behind linking her client with the child's disappearance.
Lourentia Lombaard, a former accused, testified that she overheard the missing girl’s mother Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith tell her boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis that she had sold her daughter to a sangoma.
Joshlin went missing from her Middelpos home on 19 February 2024.
She had been in the care of Appollis while her mom was at work.
The accused Kelly, Boeta, and Van Rhyn face kidnapping and human trafficking charges.
Lombaard had testified that Kelly had sold Joshlin to a sangoma for R20,000.
She said after eavesdropping on the mom and Boeta, she went inside the shack and that is when she saw van Rhyn, the day before the disappearance.
She claimed that Kelly said she would pay them money to keep quiet.
Nobahle Mkabayi asked Lombaard if her client Van Rhyn had any input in the discussion, and if he brought any ideas.
“You can’t say that he was part of the discussion if he didn’t bring any ideas or opinions.”
Lombaard said he was part of the conversation because he said he would not tell the police.
“He said nothing because he had seen or knew nothing," Mkabayi asked.
Lombaard said: "He was part of the discussion, because he agreed that he would not say anything to the police and that we were not going to say anything to the police."
Mkabayi accused Lombaard of lying to the court and whether she was implicating Van Rhyn 'because in your eyes he is not right'.
Lombaard answered in Afrikaans: “That’s correct my Lord.”
Judge Nathan Erasmus assisted by explaining what Mkabayi was asking.
“You said you saw my client outside, you are misleading the court. I put it to you that it was not him.
“The reason you are implicating and dragging him in this case is because of what you said yesterday... you are angry at him for implicating Ayanda (Litoni).”
Lombaard stood firm in her testimony and said that Van Rhyn was there and part of the discussions.
“You are lying when you say you saw my client on Monday morning, 19 February 2024, at Kelly’s house.
“Mr Appollis has confirmed that Steveno was not there,” Mkabayi said.
Lombaard replied that it was Boeta who was lying as he had seen Van Rhyn.
Mkabayi also asked the witness what her client was wearing on 18 February.
Lombaard said she could not remember.
“I smoked drugs,” she said on why she could not recall what Van Rhyn was wearing on the day.
Cape Argus