'How many times a day?': Use of drugs by state witness probed in Joshlin trial

A key state witness in the Joshlin Smith kidnapping and human trafficking trial was questioned by the defence on Tuesday about her use of illegal drugs.

Lourentia Lombaard, a former co-accused who turned state witness, previously testified that Racquel “Kelly” Smith allegedly confided in her that Smith's daughter Joshlin was sold to a sangoma for R20,000 because she, Smith, was struggling financially.

Attorney Fanie Harmse, representing Kelly's boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, questioned Lombaard about her relationship with boyfriend Ayanda Letoni who at one stage sold drugs to Kelly and Boeta.

Harmse asked if Letoni knew Joshlin, to which she replied he knew the girl was Kelly's child.

Having heard earlier testimony about the three accused and Lombaard consuming narcotics together, he asked how many times a day she smoked Mandrax or Tik (crystal meth).

“When I smoked drugs, it would be two or three times a day if Ayanda gave me money, then I would smoke in that period. But now and then it would be a week smoking drugs,” said Lombaard.

Paulina Tshosa, who volunteered at a high school, testified about walking to a hair salon at the informal settlement in Saldanha Bay on February 18 last year — the day before Joshlin went missing — when she passed what appeared to be a couple having a heated argument.

Tshosa heard the woman [who later turned out to be Kelly] tell the man, “ek gaan jou wys [I will show you]” and then saw her pull a child [Joshlin] into her shack. A pink flop flop was left behind.

Judge Nathan Erasmus asked if Kelly's threat to the man was to take Joshlin away and the witness confirmed it. Smith's attorney Rinesh Sivnarain, however, told the court the couple did not have an argument and his client would deny pulling the child inside her shack.

The next day at work, the school receptionist showed Tshosa a post about a missing child. After seeing the photograph she said: “This child’s mother must tell the truth as this child did not disappear”. She believed Smith had fought with Appollis and had taken out her frustration on the child, who may have been hurt.

A neighbour's sister later told her they were still looking for a child and a pink flop flop had been found near a beach. Kelly later said “my child does not have a pink flip-flop”.

The trial continues. 

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