The high-profile kidnapping case involving missing Saldanha Bay girl Joshlin Smith is set to resume today, as the defence challenges the credibility of the state’s key witness.
Defence lawyer Fannie Harmse, representing accused number one Jacquen Appollis, argued in court on Monday that the prosecution's case heavily relies on the testimony of former accused-turned-state witness, Lourentia Lombard.
Harmse claimed Lombard's statements contain “discrepancies and contradictions,” which, according to the defence, undermine the integrity of the state’s case. Lombard previously alleged that Kelly Smith Joshlin’s mother confessed to selling the six-year-old to a sangoma for R20,000.
Smith, Appollis, and co-accused Steveno van Rhyn are all facing charges in connection with Joshlin’s disappearance from her home in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay, in February 2024. Joshlin remains missing.
Harmse also raised concerns over what she described as two conflicting narratives presented by the prosecution one based on Lombard’s version of events, and the other on a statement attributed to Smith.
The state, meanwhile, maintains the gravity of the matter, describing it as the first of its kind in South Africa, given that the most critical witness Joshlin herself remains unaccounted for.
The trial continues.