The long-awaited testimony of Lourentia Lombaard in the trial of missing Joshlin Smith was halted just minutes after it began, when the judge adjourned proceedings to allow defence lawyers to consult with their clients. The dramatic developments unfolded yesterday afternoon at the Western Cape High Court, currently convened at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville.
Lombaard, also known as “Renz,” took the stand as a former accused turned State witness. She was initially arrested alongside Smith’s mother, Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis, and friend Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn. Originally hailing from Wolseley, Lombaard, a mother of four, revealed that her children live in various locations, with two residing in Worcester and the youngest two, ages two and three, with their father, Ayanda Litoli, in the Eastern Cape. Reflecting on her journey, she admitted to having become involved in drugs following her move to Saldanha Bay.
During her testimony, Lombaard detailed her connections to the accused, stating, “I have known Boeta for a year, I have known Kelly for more than a year, and I don’t really know Steveno; I have known him for about seven or eight months.” She recounted how she came to meet the trio, explaining, “Ayanda was a drug dealer, and he would buy or help sell the drugs. We would go buy and smoke drugs together.” This environment, she indicated, fostered her relationships with both Boeta and Kelly, forming a dangerous cycle of drug use and friendship.
As Lombaard began to recount the events of the day before Joshlin’s disappearance, she described a seemingly innocuous visit to Smith’s house, stating, “I walked around the rocks near Kelly’s place and on the other side of the canal I saw a detective bakkie parked.” Her testimony came to an abrupt end when Judge Nathan Erasmus adjourned proceedings, leaving many questions unanswered.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed that five witnesses had already testified in the case. One of them, Steven Coetzee, revealed that several months before Joshlin’s disappearance, Smith had warned him about an impending incident, describing it as a situation that would resemble a movie scene. In stark contrast, TikTok influencer Shakeerah Ganief recounted her observations, asserting that Smith did not exhibit typical behaviour displayed by a parent mourning the loss of a child. Additional witnesses included Thersia Kruger, who corroborated Coetzee’s account, and Jacques van Zyl, the control prosecutor at Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court.
Lombaard’s role in the trial is particularly pivotal as she appears as a Section 204 witness. As Ntabazalila explained, “The last witness, the most important witness, was Lourentia Lombaard, our 204 witness… It will be the court that decides whether to grant her immunity from prosecution depending on her testimony.”
The trial continues.