In a significant development in the high-profile case surrounding the kidnapping and trafficking of Joshlin Smith, Lorentia Lombaard has been granted indemnity from prosecution. Lombaard emerged as a key State witness after providing chilling testimony regarding the circumstances surrounding the sale of Joshlin, who was just six years old at the time.
In a courtroom decision that reverberated through the South African legal landscape, Judge Nathan Erasmus announced the ruling, stating that Lombaard’s testimony revealed serious contraventions of the Trafficking for the Purpose of Exploitation Act. The judge outlined the legal basis for the indemnity, emphasising the gravity of the offences committed against the young victim.
“I am of the view that you should be granted indemnity… for the following reasons, that is a contravention of Section 4 read with all the other relevant sections of the trafficking for the purpose of exploitation Act,” Judge Erasmus explained. His remarks underscore the complexity and depth of the case, which exposes the dark realities of human trafficking and the vulnerabilities faced by children in South Africa.
The court heard Lombaard recount the shocking moment she witnessed Kelly Smith, Joshlin’s mother, exchanging her own child for a sum of R20,000 to a Sangoma, a traditional healer. This revelation has intensified public outrage and calls for more robust measures to combat human trafficking in the country.
Additionally, the judge denied an application for leave to appeal from three convicted parties in the kidnapping and trafficking case. Jacquen Appollis, Steveno van Rhyn, and Lombaard’s concerned mother are currently serving life sentences on human trafficking charges, as well as 10 years for kidnapping. Judge Erasmus firmly stated that there were no reasonable prospects for success in pursuing an appeal, reinforcing the weight of the evidence presented during the initial trial.