Identity of hotel staff witness protected in Joshlin Smith trial

The woman, who worked at the hotel where Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis and his girlfriend Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, Joshlin’s mother, were staying in the days after the child’s disappearance, took the stand at the Western Cape High Court, which is currently sitting at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville, Saldanha Bay.

The court is currently engaged in a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether the confessions made by the accused were given voluntarily.

The identity of the hotel staff member who testified in the Joshlin Smith trial will not be revealed, and no images of her will be published, following an order issued by Judge Nathan Erasmus.

She told the court she was on duty on the afternoon of 4 March 2024, the day after Appollis and Smith checked into the hotel.

The couple had checked in almost two weeks after Joshlin went missing from her Middelpos home on 19 February 2024.

“I was on duty when they booked into the hotel that night of 3 March. I didn’t see them that evening, but I saw him on Monday afternoon when other people came to visit him,” she said.

“I don’t know the people, but they said they were his mother and sister. I started working at 2pm. The visitors came, and he walked past me, and he was reasonably close. After that, I saw them again when they exited the hotel. Two more females came again later.”

The witness said Appollis walked past her on at least two occasions and was close enough for her to observe him.

Defence advocate Fanie Harmse asked her if he appeared injured. “Did he look like he was injured? Was he walking crippled? When you looked at his face, did you see any injuries?” She replied: “No, he was not injured in the face.”

When asked what time Appollis left with the two women, she estimated it was around 3 pm or 4 pm. She said she did not see whether they got into a vehicle.

During cross-examination, State prosecutor Aradhana Heeramun established that the witness was aware of the case before being called to testify. “You are here to say that in the two moments you saw Appollis, you didn’t see any injuries.

If anything happened after he left the hotel whether he tripped and fell or Ms Smith slapped him across the face, you would not have seen that?” 

The witness replied: “No.”

Heeramun further asked: “Did you stand in front of his face? I take it that you observed him walk past you?” The witness confirmed: “Correct.”

When asked how long he had been in her view, she said it was only a few seconds. She also confirmed she had only seen one side of his face as he passed reception.

Harmse followed up by asking: “If you visualise it now, if he is walking past your reception, which side of his face would be on the reception side, left or right?”

The witness responded: “His left side.”

Appollis, Smith, Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn, and Lourentia ‘Renz’ Lombaard were arrested. Lombaard was later released. Another suspect, known only as Maka Lima, was added to the case after being named by Appollis in his initial confession. 

Van Rhyn is now on the stand testifying. The accused face charges of human trafficking and kidnapping. 

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za