Judge Nathan Erasmus cut off repetitive questioning, warning, and said he did not want to become a TikTok meme.
As the defence continued to poke holes in a key witness in the high-profile Joshlin Smith case statements on Thursday, she stumbled, admitting fear and confusion. ‘I wasn’t fully conscious,’ she confessed.
The then-six-year-old Joshlin disappeared from her family’s home in Middelpos on 19 February 2024.
Lourentia (Rens) Lombaard, a friend of Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, finished her evidence-in-chief for the state on Monday morning. She alleged that Smith told her whoever took Joshlin was looking for her eyes and skin.
Her seventh day of testimony continued at the Western Cape Circuit High Court in Saldanha.
Court hears contradictory testimony from Lombaard
Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis’ lawyer, Fanie Harmse’s questioning focussed on the day when Joshlin disappeared.
The court heard that Joshlin brother, Requin, informed the police that Lombaard had only arrived at their house after Smith had left for work. This contradicted Lombaard’s earlier testimony to the court.
Lombaard had previously claimed she arrived at the “hokkie” (house) before Smith left, hours before Joshlin’s disappearance.
The court was told that Requin may be called to testify later in the case. Judge Nathan Erasmus responded that he didn’t want to become a TikTok sensation.
According to Lombaard, Joshlin was in the care of Smith’s boyfriend, Appollis, when vanished. During her cross-examimation, she has revealed how Joshlin’s disappearance was allegedly orchestrated by Smith.
Harmse had been asking about Appollis walking to the white VW Polo that drove off with Joshlin. Erasmus interrupted, stating that these questions had already been answered on Thursday.
“Your client was not with Smith when she went to the car. I am not going to allow you to waste time by going back to it,” the judge said.
Harmse then concluded his cross-examination.
Lawyer probes Lombaard’s upbringing and family background
Nobahle Mkabayi, the lawyer for Steveno van Rhyn, started her cross-examination on Lombaards upbringing. She confirmed that her highest education was gr.7.
Lombaard told the court that she grew up on a farm and always had the dream of becoming a model.
However, when asked if any of her childhood dreams had come true, she answered that she is not in a hurry to get there, but she will.
She then testified that she had four children and fell pregnant for the first time when she was 16 years old. Her older two children are staying with family and the younger two are staying with her. Her children were identified as Rayvego, Roberto, Ayaka, and Aseko. She said that the last two were fathered by her boyfriend, Ayanda Letoni.
Letoni has since took his two children and they are living with him. Lombaard’s elder two children are being taken care of by their grandmother. She described herself as a good mother who cares about her children.
Asked if she would ever do anything to harm her We, she said “no”. A further question as to whether she would ever allow another person to harm her children, she also answered “no”. She smiled when she answered that she would do anything to protect her children. 4
Lombaard denies harming her children
The defence went on to state that Lombaard testified to taking drugs in 2024. She answered that she took Tik and Buttons (Mandrax). However she said she was no longer using these drugs.
She explained to the court that after taking these drugs, she said that “when you smoke Tik, you are high. When I smoked Buttons I would be even more high and in slow-motion.
After a question from Erasmus, she answered that Tik is smoked, but Mandrax is used in different ways. Erasmus stated that when he grew up, Mandrax was smoked on a “dagga-pipe”. The witness confirmed.
He also said that he knows Mandrax is used in different ways. Lombaard responded that she used very little “dagga-pipes”. She said she smoked the drug in a “bottle head, used to smoke an “entjie-pyp” (cigarette pype)”.
She burst out laughing at the judge’s knowlede, to which he asked, “Did you think I would now know that?”
Mkabayi asked how long it stays in a person’s system, to which she answered two weeks.
The trial continues.
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