Joshlin Smith latest: All four suspects choose to remain behind bars

Lorentia “Renz” Lombaard, one of the four charged in connection with the disappearance of the grade 1 Diazville Primary School pupil Joshlin Smith, withdrew her bail application this morning (Monday, 25 March) in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court.

The 32-year-old Middelpos resident face charges of human trafficking and kidnapping alongside her three co-accused: Joshlin’s mother Raquel “Kelly” Smith, Kelly’s boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and a close friend of the couple, Steveno van Rhyn.

Joshlin Smith: Renz’s confession and promise to speak the truth

During the mother of four’s first court appearance on 18 March, state prosecutor Jacques van Zyl revealed in court that she made a confession before her arrest, but no further details of what had been confessed were provided.

On leaving court at the time, she was confronted by a handful Middelpos residents who implored her to “speak the truth”.

To which Renz simply replied: “I will”.

ALSO READ: WATCH: A quarter button and ‘sakkie’ tik while Joslin Smith vanished into the night

What to know about the Joshlin Smith case so far

• Today marks 35 days since the little girl with the startling green eyes and sunny smile vanished from the Middelpos informal settlement in Diazville on 19 February.
• According to Kelly, Joshlin was feeling unwell that day, so she thought it best to leave her in the care of her boyfriend at their shack while she went off to do an odd job as a domestic worker.
• When she returned from work that evening, Joslin was nowhere to be found and Appollis told Kelly that he lost track of the girl’s whereabouts after she went outside to play.

Mother Kelly allegedly behind sale of daughter

The 32-year-old Lombaard is said to be a friend and neighbour of self-confessed tik user Kelly who is reportedly pregnant again behind bars in Pollsmoor Prison.

Senior advocate Aradhana Heeramun − who appeared for the state when Kelly, Appollis and Van Rhyn were charged on 7 March − alleged that the two men made a confession after a gruelling 36-hour interrogation at Saldanha Police Station.

They reportedly confessed that Kelly instructed them to sell Joshlin to another Middelpos man for R20 000 for muti.

On 13 March, the three accused withdrew their bail applications while the criminal charges against the then fourth accused, alleged sangoma Phumza Sigaqa, were withdrawn due to a lack of evidence.

The trio is set to appear again in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court on 13 May.

ALSO READ: Joshlin Smith: Court chaos, Pollsmoor fisticuffs, new leads and claims of two more suspects

DNA results of bloodstained clothing

According to National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) spokesperson for the Western Cape, Eric Ntabazalila, investigators must still obtain witness statements and conduct data analysis on the accused’s cellphones.

Police are also apparently waiting for the results of the DNA analysis of bloodstained clothes, a knife and a sheet found in an open field about a kilometre away from Joshlin’s home on 2 March.

ALSO READ: Muti murders in SA: Has Joshlin Smith fallen prey to ‘occult economy’?

WATCH: ‘Joshlin last seen with Renz’

Not too long after Joshlin went missing, Van Rhyn was interviewed prior to his arrest by Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie.

In the TikTok interview, he claims that he smoked some Mandrax with Appollis and a woman – whom he identified as Renz – before Kelly returned from work.

“We smoked a quarter button. Renz got up and asked Joshlin to check if her other child was still sleeping in another hokkie. She left and then both of them were never seen after that.”

In the interview, he also revealed that Renz’s boyfriend was a certain “Ayanda” whom he alleged knew sangomas.

Possibility of more arrests

According to Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie “police have not ruled out the possibility of more suspects being arrested as the investigation progresses”.

• The extensive search operation for Joshlin is still ongoing, with a reward of R250 000 offered for any information that could assist the police in locating the missing girl.
• Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the Diazville Primary School pupil can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111, or SMS Crime Line on 32211.

NOW READ: Western Cape’s missing girls: What about all the other Joslin Smiths out there?