‘He was supposed to be the first graduate in our family’

…family of slain young man in tears over loss

Matheus Sheehama was on his way to becoming the first person in his family to graduate.

This was before the 24-year-old’s life was abruptly cut short at Walvis Bay in a suspected murder.

He had been missing for more than a week following an alleged assault by friends at a braai.

Sheehama was studying horticulture at the Namibia University of Science and Technology last year.

“We were hoping he would be his mother’s breadwinner, in fact, the breadwinner of the family,” his uncle, Martins Nuuyoma, said after his body was discovered on Tuesday.

Passersby alerted the police after discovering his body close to Independence Beach behind a navy base. Erongo police chief inspector Ileni Shapumba confirmed the body to be that of Sheehema.

Before going missing, Sheehama had allegedly been assaulted at a braai that Friday evening, after he was accused of slapping his girlfriend’s brother.

Nuuyoma said the family was hoping he would be found alive.

“He was a happy boy with a lot of jokes. We were hoping that he would be the breadwinner for the family because he was the only one who reached that level of going to university. He has now lost his life to the hands of these little criminals who are always under the influence of drugs and alcohol. It really hurts. His mother broke down when she saw his body and she is still crying,” he said.

Sheehama arrived at Walvis Bay from Windhoek on the Thursday before the incident, telling his mother that he missed her and came to visit her.

He allegedly called Amungenga on the day he disappeared, but she could not understand what he was saying.

Thinking he was under the influence of alcohol, she cut the call.

Amungenga never saw her son alive again.

Missing man’s body discovered at Walvis Bay

A friend and neighbour, Maria Nakale, says the entire neighbourhood is shocked.

“He was our friend. We know him through his sister, who is our friend. We were always happy to see him when he came home from Windhoek to visit. We want justice for his death and also appeal for his girlfriend to be arrested and questioned,” she says.

He was the eldest of three and leaves behind his younger sister and baby brother, who is one year and seven months old.

Six suspects, Romano Paulus (20), Jimmy Gaeb (24), Marvin Wapota (20), Enrico Gomachab (20) and Michael Awaseb (24) appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court last week, and were denied bail.

Erongo regional police commander comissioner Nikolaus Kapembona said yesterday that Sheehama’s girlfriend Jessica Gaes (27) was arrested on Monday. She appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Sheehama went missing on 27 July, after allegedly being assaulted at a braai on the night. Sheehama was accused of slapping his girlfriend’s brother.

A prayer vigil was held on Wednesday night, attended by Walvis Bay residents, near the naval base where his body was discovered.

Read more: ‘He was supposed to be the first graduate in our family’

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