In a shocking revelation during testimony before the Western Cape High Court, currently convened at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville, Saldanha Bay, Lourentia Lombaard provided unsettling details about the alleged sale of six-year-old Joshlin Smith. Lombaard, previously an accused party herself, outlined how the child’s mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, allegedly orchestrated the disturbing transaction days before the young girl vanished.
Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, alongside her boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and another accomplice, Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn, face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking connected to the girl’s disappearance.
Recounting events that took place on 18 February 2024—just one day before Joshlin’s disappearance—Lombaard described witnessing Kelly meeting an unidentified woman in a white Volkswagen Polo. Explaining the incident in detail, Lombaard testified:
“I watched Kelly walk to a white VW Polo. The windows were not too dark. A black woman came out of the car and spoke to Kelly and then gave her something and Kelly put it in her pants, on the front side. They kept talking and the woman left them. Kelly and Joshlin walked away from the car and then they went back to Kelly’s house. I went to my house. I didn’t stay long at my house.”
She continued by explaining her growing suspicion after returning to Kelly’s residence and secretly observing an interaction between Kelly and her boyfriend, Boeta:
“I went back to Kelly’s house and stood outside the gate. Kelly and Boeta didn’t know I was standing there. I was curious what she was going to tell Boeta. She showed Boeta money, she told him it was R20,000 and Boeta asked what she was going to do with it.”
According to Lombaard’s testimony, upon confronting Kelly about the suspicious exchange and her sudden possession of a large sum of money, Kelly reportedly confessed to having sold her daughter:
“I went to the shack and asked Kelly what was going on. She said she did something shitty, and I asked what she meant and she said, ‘I sold my child to a sangoma.’ I asked her why, she said she needed the money and was going through hardship.”
The testimony painted a grim picture, detailing Smith’s supposed intentions to divide the illicitly gained cash amongst the accused, further complicating the chilling narrative:
“She said she was going to give R1,000, Steveno R1,200 and the other money will be shared amongst herself and Boeta. She said she would give me money to keep quiet because we knew about the plan. I never received any money from Kelly.”
Lombaard further indicated to the court that Kelly Smith had seemingly no clear strategy at the time, merely asserting she would find a way to ensure the child’s disappearance:
“I asked her how she was going to take Joshlin away and she said she would make a plan.”
Lombaard’s disturbing account aligns with previous suspicions raised about Smith’s involvement in her daughter’s disappearance, allegations that have captivated public attention and intensified scrutiny of this ongoing trial.
Kelly Smith, Appollis, and van Rhyn remain in custody, with their trial drawing significant community interest and widespread condemnation across the Western Cape. The court continues to assess evidence, while the whereabouts and wellbeing of young Joshlin Smith remain tragically unknown.
