Joshlin Smith has been missing since February 19, 2024.
Image: SAPS
The stage is set for the second day of the Joshlin Smith trial at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Saldanha.
The defense is expected to cross examine the State's first witness today.
On Monday, the State called its first witness, Constable Yanga Gongotha who (alongside his partner) was the responding officer when Joshlin was first being sought.
The officer gave his testimony and explained how unbothered Kelly Smith was.
Instead, he told the court she was more concerned about her boyfriend than her missing child.
On Tuesday, the defence counsels for Kelly and her boyfriend, Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis is expected to cross-examine the witness.
Steveno van Rhyn’s lawyer, Nobahle Mkabayi, will not be doing any cross examinations.
This comes after Constable Gongotha said while van Rhyn’s name came up during the first night Joshlin was said to have disappeared, he had not interacted or seen him, nor was police looking at van Rhyn at the time.
However, Mkabayi is expected to handover an application to the court, petitioning for an order to be made for her client to be moved from a single cell at the Malmesbury Prison to that of a communal cell with the general population of the prison.
Kelly’s lawyer, Rinesh Sivnarain is expected to take ‘quite some time’ with the witness in an attempt to save face for his client.
Judge Nathan Erasmus also urged the State to have more witnesses lined up so the matter may proceed more steadily.
He was also confident the glitches experienced on the first day would be ironed out and proceedings could run smoothly.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
Weekend Argus