Joshlin Smith trial: State witness corroborates some details in Kelly Smith's plea explanation
Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn are on trial for allegedly selling Joshlin to an unknown woman.
Kelly Smith (right), Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn listen to testimony in the Western Cape High Court sitting at the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre on 10 March 2025. Picture: Carlo Petersen/EWN
CAPE TOWN - A State witness in the trial related to missing girl Joshlin Smith has corroborated certain details in Kelly Smith's plea explanation.
Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn are on trial for allegedly selling Joshlin to an unknown woman.
They are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking in the Western Cape High Court, sitting at the Saldanha Bay multi-purpose centre.
On Monday, Diazville resident Carlien Zeegers took the stand as the State's eighth witness in the trial.
Zeegers told the court Kelly Smith did chores and ran errands for her, and she would always give Smith something in return.
In Smith's plea explanation, she stated on the day Joshlin went missing, she came home twice to buy drugs, which she used with co-accused Appollis.
Zeegers said that on the day Smith asked her to lend R200, she gave her two payments of R50 and then R150 before Smith left at about 5 pm.
Smith broke down in tears when Zeegers told the court Smith was a good mother who raised her children well.
READ: Joshlin Smith mother cries when 2 witnesses tell court she's a good parent