‘Tell daddy not to cry, and give him a hug’

“After she got married we realised this girl had entered into chaos.”

These are the words of Andreas Keramin, an uncle of Johanna Keramin Beukes (37), who was allegedly shot dead at Mariental’s AGS Parish by her husband, Michael Beukes (47), on Friday.

“She lived like a refugee. She had to go to work by foot hiding behind children, because if her husband saw her, there would be hell to pay,” Keramin says.

Police chief inspector Elifas Kuwinga has confirmed the incident, saying Beukes, who was Mariental Police Station’s chief inspector, shot himself later on the same day.

Johanna has been a teacher at DD Guibeb Primary School at Mariental for the past five years.

“She only had a 2/3-year-old son, who is currently staying at the pastor’s house with a caregiver until the family deliberates about him.

“At our house there is only a granny who requires supervision herself,” Keramin says.
“I was called to the church by our neighbour. He only said come quickly.

“Me and Johanna’s younger brother arrived at the church to see vehicles and people. We entered the yard, but were not allowed to enter the church.

“We knew the couple had marital problems. Some days she had to stay with this family and then with others, because he was always threatening her with words such as ‘I will shoot you, I will kill you’, until she reported the matter to the police and they warned him and withdrew his weapon,” Keramin says.

“He even asked for forgiveness from his wife because of the domestic violence, and she withdraw the police cases she opened against him. That is how they were still together until the shooting,” he says.

HE WAS SINGING ALONG AND CRYING

A witness to the incident who does not want to be identified said Beukes entered the church while they were busy with choir rehearsals.

“We did not suspect anything. There was nothing off about his behaviour either. He came and sat in the front row. We finished singing our first song,” the witness says.

“Then, during the second song, his son came to sit by him. Beukes was singing along, but he had tears in his eyes and was crying.

“The son went to his mother, saying ‘Daddy is crying’. Johanna then told her son to ‘go tell your daddy to stop crying, and give him a hug’.

“But as the boy was walking back to Beukes, he got up, took two feet forward and fired the first shot that dispersed us,” the witness says.

“Beukes saw Johanna and shot her in the leg. He started looking around as if he was looking for someone else. I sat frozen. People were running for their lives.

“Then he turned back to Johanna and shot her two or three more times. He grabbed the boy, but people wrestled him and took the boy from him, and he left on his own.

“Later we heard he also shot himself at the barracks and died,” the witness says.

Keramin says Beukes suspected Johanna was having an affair with one of the choir members.

“Johanna and this particular young man grew up together, went to school together and were now attending the same church. But there was no relationship.

“She died for nothing, because she and that suspected young man had no relationship,” he says.

Marshall Rangers Namibia manager Saun Naude says he knew officer Beukes on a personal level and was aware that his marriage was on the rocks.

“I knew him personally because of our work relationship. But I can tell you out of personal experience as well that this is what love and jealousy does. It can help you build an empire, but it can also destroy an empire.

“This was purely an act of jealousy, because losing someone you love is devastating. And we knew of these problems for about a year and a half.

“… he shot himself after shooting her … no man can live with such guilt,” Naude says.

According to the police, a case of murder with domestic violence was opened as the couple has been having ongoing domestic issues.

“The pistol used was recorded stolen on e-policing on 7 June 2022, and was a bersa Lusher 84 Cal. 7.65 pistol,” the report states.

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