Was Joslin Smith Sold to a Sangoma for Her Eyes and Skin?

A key witness in the ongoing trial surrounding the disappearance of six-year-old Joslin Smith has made shocking claims in the Western Cape High Court, alleging that the child was sold to a sangoma because of her fair complexion and distinctive blue-green eyes.

Lourentia Lombaard, who has turned state witness after initially being a suspect, testified that Joslin’s mother, Kelly Smith, admitted to selling her daughter for R20,000. According to Lombaard, the buyer—a traditional healer—specifically wanted the child for her “eyes and skin.”

Joslin was reported missing on February 19, 2024, sparking a massive manhunt in Saldanha Bay. Police used dogs, drones, helicopters, and ground teams in the search, while the case quickly gained national and international attention.

Lombaard, also known in court as Rens or Rensie, first took the stand late last week and continued her testimony on Monday. She described events from February 23, just days after the child’s disappearance. She recalled seeing Kelly Smith, accompanied by her partner Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis and two unknown individuals, walking toward her home in the Middelpos informal settlement.

“I called out to her,” Lombaard said. “She told me not to say her name so loudly because people were looking for her.”

Once inside the shack, Smith allegedly told Lombaard that she knew what had happened to her daughter. “She said someone had paid her to keep quiet,” Lombaard testified. When asked who, Smith refused to answer but said Joslin was wanted for her physical features.

Lombaard revealed that she had asked about the money Smith was supposedly paid, but said she never received the promised amount for keeping silent. She also testified that Smith had offered her R1,000 to stay quiet, and allegedly offered R1,200 to another accused, Steveno van Rhyn.

She admitted during her testimony that her initial statement to police, made on February 20, did not include all the details. “I was scared, stressed, and under the influence of drugs,” she said. She also confessed that a later statement she made in March included lies, which she attributed to fear and confusion.

According to Lombaard, there had been an understanding between all the accused to withhold key information from law enforcement.

Charges against Lombaard were withdrawn after she agreed to testify for the state under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act. She said she decided to tell the full truth in her official statement in October 2024 and has since been consistent in her testimony.

In another disturbing revelation, an evangelist from Saldanha Bay testified last week that Smith had previously spoken about selling her children for R20,000, or accepting R5,000 if necessary.

Lombaard confirmed this version of events, stating that the day before Joslin disappeared, Smith confessed she was going to sell the child due to financial difficulties. On the day Joslin vanished, Smith allegedly instructed Appollis to have the girl ready for collection by 2pm. Later that day, Lombaard said she saw Smith and Joslin getting into a white car—the last time the child was seen.

Investigators have looked into the claim that Joslin was sold to a sangoma, but police testified that no concrete evidence has yet been found to support that theory. However, according to the state’s indictment, Smith had been planning since August 2023 to either sell or give away her children, with the intended timeline being early 2024.

Kelly Smith, Appollis, and Van Rhyn have all pleaded not guilty. Cross-examination of Lombaard was expected to begin later on Monday.