Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The family of Apostle Paulus Shiwoomwenyo Shetu is grappling with the shock of his burial in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) without their prior knowledge.
Shetu (50) passed away on 22 April 2025 in Lubumbashi, DRC.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer, family spokesperson Petrus Sheya said they only found out about Shetu’s death and burial after receiving a message from an unknown number.
“We just received a message after he was buried already. In fact, someone texted me from the DRC and then sent an SMS in French. Then I responded in English, asking who the person is. So the following SMS was just the pictures of him written ‘rest in peace’,” Sheya said.
Shetu, who was a lecturer at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), reportedly travelled to the DRC for business.
However, the family said they are uncertain about the exact nature of his activities there.
“I cannot tell what he was doing in DRC, because all he told us was that it was just for business,” Sheya said.
The family is currently in contact with a Namibian official at the embassy in Kinshasa to explore the possibility of repatriating Shetu’s remains.
Sheya explained that no immediate action has been taken, as they were focused on organising a memorial service, which was on Sunday in Oilyateko-Ondobe.
“So, another thing, we are busy with this memorial service. And later on, maybe after this, we will then have to contact the official in the DRC and see if we can get his remains here. But also, I don’t think that as a family we are going to be able to do that. It takes a lot of emotional toll on the family and financial toll,” Sheya said.
Questions sent to the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO) regarding whether the government was involved in the burial arrangements or efforts to repatriate Shetu’s remains were not responded to by the time of publication.
Shetu was born on 17 April 1975 and passed away on 22 April 2025 in Lubumbashi, DRC.
He was remembered as a father, brother, uncle, cousin, and husband.
