By Jelili Gbadamosi
A 71-year-old South African woman, Susana Sarie De Villiers, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the deaths of her three great-grandchildren in a 2021 vehicle crash.
De Villiers was sentenced on Thursday by the Worcester Regional Court in the Western Cape after pleading guilty to three counts of murder in March 2025.
The victims were identified as eight-year-old Caleb Booysen, five-year-old Gradwell Booysen and 18-month-old Joshua Booysen.
The children died on November 20, 2021, after the vehicle driven by De Villiers plunged off Bainskloof Pass.
According to reports, the children had been visiting De Villiers and relatives in Wellington and were being driven home when the crash occurred.
Witnesses said roadworks were underway along the pass, with traffic officers regulating vehicles at several stop-and-go points. De Villiers reportedly drove past the control points and through a closed boom gate.
After her vehicle failed to arrive at another control point, a patrol vehicle was dispatched to search for her.
Rescuers eventually found the vehicle after it had left the road and plunged down the pass. Caleb and Gradwell died at the scene, while Joshua was rescued but later succumbed to his injuries.
Bad weather reportedly prevented a helicopter from reaching the crash site, forcing rescuers to carry the toddler back up to the road.
Although the court imposed 20 years for each of the three murders, the sentences will run concurrently, meaning De Villiers will spend a total of 20 years in prison.
The court also ruled that she was not fit to possess a firearm. Magistrate Clifton Maseti subsequently cancelled her release on warning and ordered that she be imprisoned.
