Rifleman Johan Lourens, killed by ‘friendly fire’ in SW Africa

"...Corporal Lourens' sister Marie, said from Vryheid that her brother had looked forward to border duty and expected it to be a great experience. He had been there since September 9 and the family had last heard from him three days before his death. In his letter, Johan wished his sister luck for her matric exam next month..."

September 22, 2019

André van Ellinckhuyzen 3 minutes read

Rifleman Johan Lourens is carried by pallbearers to his final resting place.

“Defence headquarters announced in Pretoria yesterday that four members of the South African Army, two of them from Natal, were killed in a shooting accident in the operational area on Thursday night. They were Corporal Leslie Muller (22), son of Mrs. M.R. Muller of Cockhane Avenue, Ladysmith, Rifleman C.J. Lourens (19), son of Mr. and Mrs. C.J.J. Lourens of Kommissie Street, Vryheid, Sergeant J.P.A. Furstenburg (24), of Middelburg, Transvaal, and Rifleman J.J. de Vos (19) of Swellendam, Cape.”

Cornelius Johannes ‘Johan’ Lourens was born on April 7, 1958 in Germiston to Cornelius Johannes Jakobus ‘Neels’ Lourens and Anetta Lourens neè Potgieter.

Johan was the oldest child and had three younger siblings: Anna Maria Magrieta ‘Mari’ Haughton, Hendrik Christoffel Marthinus ‘Henk’ Lourens and Sanett Susara ‘Anett’ Lourens.
Their father passed away in October 2017, and Anetta lives with her daughter, Mari on farm Wilgerbosdrif, near Citrusdal in the Western Cape.

The very cute two-year-old Johan Lourens.

Johan started his schooling at Colenso Primary School in 1964, and matriculated from Vryheid High School in 1976.

Johan at the start of his Grade 2 year at Colenso Primary School.

His sister, Mari said Johan was good at cross country running, loved music and was nicknamed ‘Looky’ by his friends, because he adored the 1969 song Looky Looky, sung by Giorgio Moroder.

During his basic training, Johan was based at Number 4 South African Infantry Battalion (4 SAI) in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, and during his operational deployment he was based at Grootfontein, near Rundu, and the Etosha Park in Northern Namibia.

Sadly, Johan died only hours before Mari’s matric farewell ball at Vryheid High School in 1977.
Mari was already dressed and ready for the ball when people arrived at their home and broke the terrible news of Johan’s death.
She only went to the school for some photos with her classmates, then returned home.

The Lourens family is in possession of a number of letters written by Johan to his mother and the family, including a letter they received only three days before the day he died.

On September 29, 1977, Anetta wrote a letter to her son about the family’s plans for a vacation at the seaside, and about Mari’s matric farewell ball.

The photograph of Johan Lourens which adorns his headstone.

Anneta had no idea she would never get to post that letter, or ever see her son alive again.

Just after 2am on that day, four members from the 4 SAI were killed by friendly fire at Okalongo in old South West Africa (Namibia), when a soldier watching the rear of the ambush position suddenly turned around and opened fire on his fellow soldiers.

Johan Lourens relaxes at home during his matric year.

The soldier in question later appeared in the Windhoek Supreme Court on charges of murder, but was medically diagnosed as having acute schizophrenia.

He was thus declared medically unfit to stand trial. The three other casualties of this incident were Sergeant Jan Pieter Albertus Furstenburg – born April 11, 1953 in Middelburg, Corporal Leslie Muller – born April 27, 1958 in Ladysmith and Rifleman Jan Joachim Jacobus de Vos – born December 24, 1958 in Swellendam.

The current home on Kommissie Street in Vryheid.

At the time of Johan’s death, the Lourens family resided on Kommissie Street and for nearly six months after Johan’s death, Anetta spent every day from sunrise to sunset, mourning at her son’s grave.

Until today, she has never spoken a single word about his death.

A number of newspaper articles from that period reported on the death of Johan and his fellow battalion members:
“So is vier aan grens deur maat geskiet. n ENKELE soldaat wat sy sin vir rigting kwytgeraak het, het op sy makkers losgeband en vier van hulle doodgeskiet.

“Hy was onder die indruk dat dit terroriste was wat in die Suid Afrikaners se hinderlaag beland het.”
“4 SOLDATE SNEUWEL. Diepe rou oor jong mans. VIER jong soldate – drie van hulle dienspligtiges en een ‘n lid van die Staande Mag – het in ‘n skietongeluk in die operasionele gebied gesterf, het die Weermaghoofkwartier gister in Pretoria bekend gemaak.”

The remains of Rifleman Johan Lourens arrive by aircraft in Vryheid.

Daily News, October 4, 1977: “Soldier who died ‘keen to serve”. Daily News Reporter. LANCE-Corporal Johan Lourens, the Vryheid serviceman who died on the border on Thursday had looked forward to Border duty, his family said at the weekend. Corporal Lourens (19), who would have completed his army training on December 23, was killed in a shooting incident with three other army trainees. One other, Corporal Leslie Muller, was also from Natal. Corporal Muller died after being on the border for about three weeks. He also hoped to be home in time for Christmas. Corporal Lourens’ sister Marie, said from Vryheid that her brother had looked forward to border duty and expected it to be a great experience. He had been there since September 9 and the family had last heard from him three days before his death. In his letter, Johan wished his sister luck for her matric exam next month…”