Key state witness denies boyfriend left town over claims he had a hand in disappearance of Joshlin

The state's main witness on Monday said she was distressed by rumours claiming that her boyfriend had allegedly played a role in the disappearance of Joshlin Smith.

Lourentia Lombaard told the high court sitting in Saldanha Bay that Ayanda Letoni elected to leave the West Coast town about a month after six-year-old Joshlin went missing because the area had become “chaotic” — not because he was allegedly involved in her disappearance.

Attorney Nobahle Mkabayi, representing co-accused Steveno van Rhyn, questioned Lombaard on her drug use and relationship with Van Rhyn. Van Rhyn, she explained, had helped Letoni at a car wash in the area.

The court heard she started smoking tik at the age of 16 and at one stage used drugs two or three times a day. She did not consider herself to be a drug dealer. Lombaard said if she smoked (tik and Mandrax) multiple times a day and did not sleep the effects remained in her system for some time.

She was asked where her four children stayed when she was high and replied the two older children stayed with their father and his family. The two youngest children stayed with her.

The court heard that on February 29 last year, two weeks before Lombaard was arrested, community members brought Van Rhyn and Letoni to the local police station.

Mkabayi asked how Lombaard felt when she heard Van Rhyn had allegedly told police that Letoni was involved in Joshlin’s disappearance. “I could not believe it. I was stressed and angry at him (Van Rhyn),” said Lombaard.

Lombaard became emotional while testifying that she, the two young children and Letoni were driven to a safe house where they stayed for about three weeks and were allegedly beaten.

“Other people came that worked with police and said they were looking for Joshlin and a lot of other people came as well and they hit us at that house — they did not worry about my children that were there,” said Lombaard.

“The following day people came again. The electricity was off in the evening. They wore baklavas and had firearms and bomber jackets ... I was asked where Joshlin was. I said I did not know and they placed my face in the (bomber) jacket.

“A blanket was wrapped around my body. I had to show where Joshlin walked. They said that Steveno said I know where Joshlin walked to. They then said I had to drive with them, I left my children with Ayanda.

“I searched with them in the bushes for Joshlin. I was so scared I wanted to run away. They said they were going to shoot me, so I just stood there by the people. They showed me the firearm and then we got into the bakkie and left, and when we got to Diazville I got into another vehicle and then other men took me back to the safe house in Langebaan.”

Attorney Fanie Harmse, representing Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, focused on discrepancies in different versions of events outlined in Lombaard's statement taken by police in February 2024, a section 204 statement taken in October 2024 when she turned state witness and testimony in court.

Lombaard told the court she did not provide the full truth when her statement was initially taken as at that stage she did not trust the police, was “scared, anxious and not in her sound and sober senses, because it was her first time talking to someone and because there was a camera”.

The trial continues.

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