ONETHINDI – The family of a 43-year-old man who died at his friend’s shack allegedly in the company of his mistress is up in arms over the police’s insensitivity in the matter.
According to the family, they only learned about the passing of their relative on social media, after the police had given a detailed, graphic report, detailing how the deceased, identified as Elia Johannes, died.
The news broke like wildfire on Monday when the police revealed that a 43-year-old man from Onethindi village in Oshikoto region died after having sex with his girlfriend.
The police said: “The deceased got off the bed complaining about chest pain, started shivering, breathing weirdly and eventually fainted. During the incident, it was observed the deceased released white substance foam from his mouth.”
His next of kin have been informed, the police said, a version now contradicted by the family. The family took this report with a large degree of unease.
When New Era paid a visit to their homestead, the mother, Helaria Johannes expressed disappointment in the
insensitive manner in which the police handled the matter.
“The police did not consult us as the family. How can a police provide information that my son died after he had sex? It’s just wrong,” the distraught mother vented.
She added that “married men cheat but don’t get exposed like that”.
Helaria then moved to condemn the police, saying, “My son is not the first person to cheat. Why [is it] him to be exposed?”
She said the police were supposed to bring the girlfriend to them, so she explains what exactly happened to Johannes.
“Now we are worried and shocked at what happened to our son,” she said.
In addition, Helaria narrated that on Sunday, she spoke with her son around 13h30 asking him to take her to church and he told her that he would come at 14h00.
“On the same day around 14h00, people came into my house and informed me that they read on social media that Johannes had died. I was shocked because it was not so long after I spoke with my son,” she said.
On the part of the police, spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi acknowledged that they may have given “too detailed information” on the incident “and we apologise”.
“We really went overboard and shared too much details which we should’ve avoided, we regret and we apologise,” Shikwambi said late yesterday.
She had earlier told this reporter that Johannes’ girlfriend could not be approached for any comment as she is traumatised by the incident and also to protect her.
Meanwhile, the widow Aili Johannes, warned journalists not to publish any information related to her husband’s death.
“I am warning you. I don’t want his information published. Also, don’t publish any information you got from Helaria,” Aili warned.
According to information on hand, Elia and Aili got married in 2021. The couple has three children.
It is further alleged that Johannes’ girlfriend was a domestic worker at his house between 2019 and 2020 before he got married to Aili.
Also speaking to this publication,
Matias Mwandingi, the owner of the shack where the incident happened, said he has since relocated from the shack, as he is scared of sleeping in a shack where someone has died.
“After the burial of Johannes, I will demolish my shack and construct it at a new place,” he said.