Immunity granted to key witness in Joshlin Smith kidnapping case sparks outrage

Anti-gender-based violence activist June Dolley Major has called for prison time for Lourentia “Renz” Lombaard, the woman who turned State witness in the case of missing Saldanha Bay girl Joshlin Smith.

Major's remarks follow a decision by Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus on Wednesday, which granted Lombaard full immunity from prosecution.

Lombaard was arrested in March last year alongside Joshlin’s mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn, and she turned State witness.

All three were convicted of kidnapping and human trafficking and are serving life sentences.

Judge Erasmus found that Lombaard had provided “key evidence” and testified “honestly and frankly” in her Section 204 statement.

But Dolley Major, speaking outside the court, said she believed any crime involving a child warranted some form of punishment.

“Lots of emotions are going on right now,” she said. “I understand why she’s indemnified, guilty after the fact, and not active at all. But as always, my concern is Joshlin.

“My personal opinion is no disrespect to Judge Erasmus in any way whatsoever, he handled it all so well. I feel any crime involving a child should serve some kind of time.”

The defence has indicated it will approach the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein to try to overturn the convictions and sentences.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said they were satisfied with both the convictions and Lombaard’s indemnity.

“It’s an outcome that we argued for. We believe there’s no other court that could come to a different conclusion,” he said.

“We believe the decision to convict them for trafficking in persons for purposes of exploitation, as well as kidnapping, and handing down life sentences, was correct. There was no other suitable sentence.

“We are also happy with the outcome in terms of the Section 204 witness, Ms Lombaard, because we believe she testified frankly and honestly, which is a requirement of the Act. She did not try to take herself out of the crime, but told the court what happened and the role she played.”

Ntabazalila confirmed Lombaard remains in the witness protection programme and will not be prosecuted.

“If they take us to the SCA, we will go there and oppose that application completely,” he said. “She is indemnified entirely from prosecution, so she’s free.”

Meanwhile, Joshlin’s paternal grandmother, Lauretta Yon, said she was relieved that the appeal failed had failed.

"I was with Boeta and Kelly, and they said they didn’t know anything about Joshlin, so they must rot in jail. You can’t look somebody in the eye and lie."

"Regarding the Renz issue, I think she spoke the truth. Steven Coetzee didn’t know Renz, which means they could not have colluded to frame them. How did he know about the R20,000? They (Renz and Coetzee) were the main people in the trial.”

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