D-DAY FOR JOSHLIN KIDNAPPING ACCUSED

All three have pleaded not guilty

- MANDILAKHE TSHWETE

THE high-profile kidnapping case of Joshlin Smith that has gripped the country is expected to reach its final stages today, with Judge Nathan Erasmus set to deliver an eagerly-awaited judgment.

Scores of people are expected to descend on the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville, Saldanha Bay, where the Western Cape High Court has been sitting for the duration of the trial against Joshlin's mother Racquel "Kelly" Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen "Boeta" Appollis, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn.

All three have pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and human trafficking. Joshlin, 6, went missing from her Middelpos home on February 19, 2024, sparking a frantic search that quickly escalated into a major criminal investigation.

On Wednesday, both the State and the defence concluded closing arguments, paving the way for the court's final ruling.

Public interest in the case remains intense, as community members from across the province are expected to travel to Diazville, with some planning to queue outside the venue before dawn.