Lourentia Lombaard, who confessed to cops that she was involved with Joshlin Smith’s disappearance, loafed drug money from her family just days before the child went missing.
This was revealed by her cousin on Monday as Lombaard, 31, appeared in the Vredenberg Magistrate’s Court, where her Legal Aid representative Asongezwa Mafuya announced that her client would not be applying for bail.
Magistrate Yolisa Sipoyo asked her: “Ms Lombaard, is it correct that you told your legal representative that you are abandoning your right to apply for bail at this stage?” Lombaard replied: “Ja.”
She is the fourth person to be charged with human trafficking in persons for the purpose of exploitation, and kidnapping of Joshlin.
The six-year-old girl was reported missing on 20 February, a day after her disappearance.
Her mother Racquel “Kelly” Smith, 33, claimed she left her eldest daughter at home with her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis as the child was too sick to go to school that day.
On 5 March, after the couple and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were questioned by cops, they were all arrested for Joshlin’s disappearance.
One of them allegedly told cops that Joshlin was sold for R20 000.
Lombaard, who is friends with Smith and Appollis, was arrested 10 days later. Prosecutor Jacques van Zyl told the court that she had confessed, but didn’t give details.
In court, Lourentia told mense in the public gallery that she “told police everything”.
The four accused will now appear in court on 13 May.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said more arrests were imminent and charges would be added.
He would not reveal how Lombaard was linked to the case: “The details of what happened and the merits will come out at a later stage [in court] and the earliest will be if one of them applies for bail.”
@manditshwete #JoshlinSmith #Saldanha #saldanhabay #joslinsmith #southafrica #southafricatiktok🇿🇦 #southafricatiktok #westerncape #westerncapesouthafrica ♬ original sound - Mandilakhe Tshwete
Lombaard’s 26-year-old cousin said they learnt about her arrest on social media.
“We first saw this on social media and we were not sure they were talking about my cousin. But then the boyfriend’s name was mentioned and I asked my mom if it wasn’t her, and then we confirmed.
“My mom is very hurt about this, the family is praying for her, she must just tell the truth.
“We are not close with her but she came to us to ask for money for drugs before Joshlin disappeared. And that was the last time we saw her.”
