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State witness in Joshlin Smith’s case, Lorentia Lombaard, seen testifying at the case.
Kelly Smith’s sister, Mickeyla Daniels, a police officer based in Upington in the Northern Cape, has taken to the witness stand in the Western Cape High Court sitting at Saldanha Bay.
During her testimony Daniels says a week after Joshlin’s disappearance, Kelly told her that the child was still in the Middlepos informal settlement.
Smith, her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn are on trial for kidnapping and human trafficking.
Daniels says the first time she contacted her sister, Kelly was in a state and crying, but on the following day, she was laughing and talking about new clothes Gayton Mackenzie had bought her other two children.
“I called Kelly on WhatsApp and I asked her where is Joshlin, she answered and said my child is here in the informal settlement, someone wanted to sell my child but it’s too heated.”
Livestream: Today’s proceedings at Joshlin Smith’s kidnapping case
Earlier, a former accused turned state witness in the kidnapping and human trafficking case of Joshlin Smith expressed her remorse for getting involved in the case.
Lorentia Lombaard continued her testimony today and clarified a number of inconsistencies in her confession, in contrast to what she has testified to in court.
Lombaard told the Western Cape High Court that when she gave her confession statement on 15 March last year, she was scared, stressed and nervous because it was the first time that she had to speak like that in front of people.
“I did try to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen to me. I feel sad and bad because I was involved because I’m also a mother of four children.”
Lombaard is expected to face cross-examination later.
Next witness on the stand is Michaela Daniels. She is Kelly Smith’s sister, and the second youngest of 5 children. Kelly is the oldest sibling.
By profession, Daniels is a member of the SAPS, attached to Public Order Policing in Upington in the Northern Cape.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/r8VWwnHqZi
— Sphiwe Hobasi (@MrCow_man) March 17, 2025
