Defence argues it's impossible Lombaard saw Joshlin’s mother bartering with sangoma

CAPE TOWN - A lawyer for one of the accused in the Joshlin Smith trial has argued it's not possible that the State's star witness saw Joshlin's mother bartering with a sangoma to sell her child.  

Lourentia Lombaard returned to court for cross-examination on Tuesday, after previously testifying that Joshlin was allegedly sold for R20,000.

Her testimony implicates Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis, and Stevano van Rhyn in the child's disappearance more than a year ago.  

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Defence attorney Nobahle Mkabhayi, who represents accused number two, Van Rhyn, continued to question Lombaard about her testimony.  

Mkabhayi asked Lombaard if Van Rhyn was present when Smith allegedly took Joshlin to meet the sangoma the day before she went missing.  

Lombaard told the court she only saw Van Rhyn at Smith's shack after she allegedly returned from the sangoma with a package of money.  

Mkabhayi then questioned Lombaard about how she could see the sangoma, who Lombaard described as having white speckles on her face and a band around her head, from such a distance.  

After using photographic evidence to illustrate where she had been standing, Lombaard told the court she had an unobstructed view close to where the alleged human trafficking happened.  

But the defence maintains Lombaard could not have witnessed anything because she was too far.