“God will get Makka.”
This is the chilling message murdered Natasha Booise, had for her grieving son when she came to him in a dream.
The Piketberg mom was allegedly shot and killed by her policeman boyfriend, Richard “Makka” Smit, in front of the 12-year-old boy.
Speaking to the Daily Voice after Smit returned to court for his bail hearing last week, Natasha’s friends and family say they were shocked to hear that despite having three criminal convictions, Smit was never dismissed from SAPS.
Natasha, 30, died on 2 January after she was allegedly stalked by Smit.
Her family said he was kwaad because she chose to spend the day with visiting relatives from Paarl and while walking through the town, the off-duty cop followed her and eventually shot her in full view of her relatives, using his service pistol.
Natasha’s mom, Dorothea, 58, says she got a skrik when she heard Smit was previously convicted for attacking his own father.
“We went to court on Thursday and that is when we heard these things,” she says.
“I am in shock because we can’t understand how he was still working for the police.
“It has been hard without Natasha, she was my only child.
“Her son, Lee Hogan, is going for counselling once a week and he has taken up sports to keep him busy.”
She says the boy does not speak much about his mother but revealed that Natasha had visited him in a dream.
“He said she was standing by the kitchen table wearing all white and told him that he must be at peace because God will get Makka.”
Smit’s bail hearing was postponed to 15 March for the state to lead further evidence.
According to court records, Smit has three convictions.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says Smit was first convicted of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in 2015 when he stabbed Hogan Henry under his left rib.
“It was a Piketberg case but he was sentenced at the Malmesbury Regional Court to 36 months of correctional supervision with 24-hour house arrest and 16 hours of correctional services.”
Three years later he was sentenced at the same court and fined R1500 after he assaulted a man.
He was also busted for contravening the Road Traffic Act and resisting arrest and paid a R3000 fine.
In a shocking twist, it has also been revealed that SAPS returned his pistol after he was deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
Ntabazalila confirmed: “His late father also applied for a protection order in 2013 after Smit swore, pointed his service pistol at him and threatened to shoot him.
“The protection order was withdrawn, SAPS took his service pistol for five years and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
“In 2020 he applied for the reinstatement of his firearm and it was given back.
“It was the same service pistol he used to kill his girlfriend.”
Smit’s lawyer William Booth told the court that if granted bail, his client would live at his brother’s house.