The trial into the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith has taken a disturbing turn, with state witness Lourentia Lombaard revealing shocking details about the alleged sale of the child.
Testifying for the second consecutive day, Lourentia provided a firsthand account of how Kelly Smith allegedly handed over Joshlin in exchange for R20,000, received from a woman she described as a sangoma.
Lourentia Lombaard reveals she saw the sale of Joshlin Smith to a sangoma
According to Lombaard, on the Sunday before Joshlin disappeared, she overheard Kelly telling Boeta (Jacquen Appollis) about someone interested in Joshlin.
Later that day, she observed Kelly and Joshlin walking toward the other side of the canal, where a white VW Polo was parked.
Inside the car, Lombaard saw a man in the driver’s seat and a black woman in the front passenger seat.
The woman, described as short with white facial markings and wearing a green t-shirt and a skirt, got out of the car and handed something to Kelly. Lombaard testified that Kelly discreetly shoved the item into her crotch before scanning her surroundings.
After a brief conversation, the woman got back into the Polo and drove away. Kelly and Joshlin returned home, where Lombaard overheard Kelly telling Boeta, “Here is the money we got from the sangoma.”
When Boeta asked how much, Kelly allegedly responded, “R20,000.”
Lombaard testified that later that evening, she confronted Kelly about what had happened. According to her, Kelly admitted to selling her daughter.
“‘Rents, I did something s**t now,’” Kelly allegedly told her. When pressed for details, Kelly confessed, “‘I just sold my child to a sangoma.’”
Lombaard asked her why she would do such a thing, to which Kelly allegedly replied, “‘I was in need of money and I am going through hardship.’”
Lombaard further testified that Kelly planned to split the money, offering R1,000 to her and R1,200 to another witness, Steveno. While Steveno accepted the money, Lombaard claimed she initially refused but settled with the amount.
The following day, Kelly reportedly gave Boeta specific instructions:
“At 14:00, you must get Joshlin ready. That’s when I will come back because that’s when the people will come to fetch Joshlin.”
Lombaard testified that Kelly packed a black cooler bag with some of Joshlin’s clothes and underwear before leaving. When she returned at 14:00, she was ready to finalize the transaction.
Lombaard’s testimony has provided the most detailed account yet of what allegedly happened in the hours leading up to Joshlin’s disappearance.
- Kelly allegedly received R20,000 from a sangoma for Joshlin.
- Boeta and Steveno were aware of the plan.
- Kelly had allegedly packed Joshlin’s clothes, preparing her for the exchange.
- The plan was reportedly finalized on the Monday when Joshlin was last seen.
Lombaard admitted that she had used drugs on the day of the alleged transaction, a detail the defence may use to question her credibility.
However, she insisted that she was fully aware of what she saw and heard.
When this article was published, Lourentia Lombaard was still testifying.
