State's evidence under scrutiny

AS THE court case concerning the disappearance of 6-year-old Joshlin Smith nears the end, tensions peaked in the Western Cape High Court yesterday as Judge Nathan Erasmus pressed the State on key contradictions in its case.

- MANDILAKHE TSHWETE

While the prosecution insists there was a deliberate agreement to sell the child, Judge Erasmus raised concerns about misalignments between the star witness's evidence and that of the accused.

At the centre of the storm is Lourentia Lombaard, a Section 204 witness, who confessed to her role in the events surrounding Joshlin's vanishing on February 19, 2024, but has been granted immunity in exchange for full disclosure.

Her testimony forms the backbone of the State's case, alleging that Joshlin's mom, Racquel "Kelly" Smith, conspired with Jacquen "Boeta" Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn to sell Joshlin for R20 000, a plan supposedly conceived months before it was executed.