As the trial of Joshlin Smith entered its second day on Tuesday at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha, the courtroom was filled with tension as both sides prepared to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the child’s alarming disappearance.
On Monday, the State called its first witness, Constable Yanga Gongotha, who was one of the responding officers when the authorities were first alerted about the missing child. Through his testimony, Gongotha cast a stark light on the behaviour of Kelly Smith, Joshlin’s mother, at the time of the incident.
According to Gongotha, his interactions with Smith raised immediate concerns. Rather than exhibiting distress over her missing child, he noted that her main focus seemed to be on her boyfriend, Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis. This testimony has put Smith’s parental instincts under scrutiny, as Gongotha remarked, “The most important thing for her was her boyfriend, not the child.”
As the second day of the trial progresses, the defence team for Kelly and Appollis plans to cross-examine Constable Gongotha. Kelly’s lawyer, Rinesh Sivnarain, is expected to thoroughly question the officer as a strategy to bolster his client’s position. Notably, Steveno van Rhyn’s lawyer, Nobahle Mkabayi, will not engage in cross-examination, despite van Rhyn’s name surfacing during early investigations. Mkabayi, however, is preparing to submit a petition for her client to be moved from solitary confinement to a communal cell in Malmesbury Prison, arguing for better conditions for the accused.
Judge Nathan Erasmus, presiding over the trial, has urged the State to ensure that additional witnesses are prepared to testify, aiming for a more efficient progression of the proceedings. He expressed optimism that the technical glitches experienced on the trial’s inaugural day would be resolved, allowing for a more seamless continuation of this high-profile case.
This ongoing trial has stirred considerable public interest, shining a light on the complexities surrounding parental responsibility and the emotional turmoil accompanying a child’s disappearance.