CAPE TOWN - Laurentia Lombaard, accused number four in the Joshlin Smith disappearance case, will now appear as a state witness.
She has made a deal with the state, in exchange for her testimony on her three accomplices.
Jacquen Apollis, Steveno van Rhyn, and Raquel 'Kelly' Smith remain in custody for the disappearance of the six-year-old from her Middelpos home eight months ago.
The trio and Lombaard appeared briefly in Vredenburg Magistrate's Court on allegations of kidnapping and trafficking.
The case will now be heard in the Western Cape High Court for pre-trial proceedings on 31 January 2025.
All four suspects appeared at the Vredenburg Magistrate's Court on Monday.
The gallery was stunned after the announcement was made.
Lauretta Yon, the 6-year-old's grandmother, says she is happy that there is movement in the case after eight months of uncertainty.
The three co-accused will return to court at the end of January for a pre-trial in Cape Town.