For the families of Mari Hoon and Jéan Vosloo, the past six years have been a living nightmare of grief and legal battles.
This weekend, a small measure of justice was finally served as guesthouse owner Kevin Pretorius was sentenced to an effective 10 years behind bars for the murders of the young couple, who were found dead in their guesthouse shower in 2020.
The tragedy occurred at a guesthouse in Kareedouw, where the couple had been staying for a romantic getaway. They were found lifeless in the bathroom, victims of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty gas geyser that had been improperly installed and maintained. The court heard harrowing testimony about the "silent killer" gas that filled the small space, giving the couple no chance of escape.
Magistrate Vusiwe Mnyani was firm in her sentencing, handing down 10 years for each murder, to run concurrently. She noted that Pretorius had shown a "gross disregard" for the safety of his guests, prioritising profit over the basic requirements of gas safety regulations. However, for the families, the sentence feels like a hollow victory.
"In a few years, Kevin will be out of jail and I will still not have my son," Jéan’s father told reporters outside the court, his voice trembling with emotion.
The case has sparked a national conversation about the safety of Airbnb and guesthouse rentals in South Africa. Experts are now calling for much stricter enforcement of gas installation certificates and regular inspections.
While Pretorius begins his decade-long stint in prison, the story serves as a grim reminder to all travellers: a "cosy getaway" can turn into a death trap in the blink of an eye if safety is ignored.
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