Lourentia Lombaard broke down when questioned about her boyfriend, Ayanda Litoni.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
During the ongoing trial of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, state witness Lourentia Lombaard broke down when questioned about her boyfriend, Ayanda Litoni leaving Middelpos shortly after Joshlin’s disappearance. She revealed to the Western Cape High Court, sitting in White City Multipurpose Centre, that she had been threatened and tortured during questioning.
Joshlin went missing on February 19, 2024, from her Diazville home. Lombaard, who was arrested alongside the child’s mother, Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis, and Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn, testified that she had been placed in a safe house for three weeks before her arrest.
She recounted an incident in March when a group of armed individuals in balaclavas and thick bomber jackets stormed the safe house, demanding to know Joshlin’s whereabouts. Lombaard said they wrapped her in blankets, forced her to retrace her steps, and threatened to shoot her if she tried to flee.
“I left my children with Ayanda and searched with them for Joshlin. I wanted to run, but they said they would shoot me if I did. They showed me a firearm,” she testified.
According to Lombaard, the group drove her to a bushy area in Middelpos, where they continued their interrogation. She stated that they never went to the area where police were also searching.
After the ordeal, she was transferred into another vehicle and eventually dropped off. Lombaard admitted she couldn’t recall the exact date of the assault.
Van Rhyn’s lawyer Nobahle Mkabayi said that the reason there were many discrepancies in Lombaard's testimony was because she is lying.
She asked Lombaard about her visit to Kelly’s home on Sunday as Lombaard had said that she had been at the shack to ask Kelly for food.
Mkabayi said she had not mentioned that she had received any food at her friend’s house.
The trial continues.
