Joshlin Smith trial: Accused says police threatened to throw him in the ocean! The evidence-in-chief continues on Tuesday morning with Steveno van Rhyn, who alleged he was kidnapped, assaulted, and tortured by men he believed to be police officers during the investigation into the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith.
Joshlin went missing from her home in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay, on 19 February 2024.
Her disappearance led to the arrest of her mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend, Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn. All three pleaded not guilty.
The current proceedings form part of a trial-within-a-trial in the Western Cape High Court to determine whether confessions made by the accused were obtained lawfully and voluntarily.
Joshlin Smith trial
On the stand, Van Rhyn recounted in chilling detail how he was picked up on 4 March 2024 while hitchhiking with his cousin’s boyfriend, couple.
He testified that he was separated from the boyfriend and taken by unknown men to Jacobsbaai. There, he claims he was handcuffed, forced to lie on his stomach, beaten, and had a firearm shoved into his mouth.
He also alleged that his testicles were pinched during the assault, causing lasting physical damage.
“It felt a bit funny because I thought I was just getting a lift,” Van Rhyn said, adding that he feared for his life when the men threatened to make him dig his own grave or throw him into the ocean.
The accused said he was later taken, still handcuffed, to the Sea Border police offices in Saldanha Bay, where he was assaulted again.
He described being hit multiple times in a boardroom while being questioned about Joshlin’s whereabouts.
He stated he had no injuries before being abducted and had been walking normally when hitchhiking.
The trial continues on Tuesday morning, when Van Rhyn will resume his testimony under evidence-in-chief.
In other news – Gogo Skhotheni sparks debate after revealing her ancestral calling was actually depression
Former reality TV star and well-known podcaster Gogo Skhotheni has stirred up intense conversations on social media after making a surprising revelation about her past as a sangoma. In a deeply personal moment during an exchange with Real Housewives of Durban alum Slee “The Boss Lady,” Skhotheni admitted that what she once believed was an ancestral calling may have actually been depression.
Her candid statement—“You are one of those who simply think they have a calling, kumbe it’s depression. Uzoba strong”—was reshared by celebrity blog Maphepha Ndaba, and quickly went viral. The remark shocked many of her followers and sparked both praise and criticism from fans and spiritual observers alike. Read More