Wessel Johannes who was popularly known as “Hansie” Cronje was a South African international cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s. A right-handed all-rounder, as captain Cronje led his team to victory in 27 test matches and 99 one day internationals. He was voted the 11th greatest South African in 2004 despite having been banned from cricket for life due to his role in a match-fixing scandal. He died in a plane crash in 2002.
Mini Bio on Hansie Cronje
Cronje was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa to Ewie Cronje and San-Marie Cronje on 25 September 1969. He graduated in 1987 from Grey College in Bloemfontein, where he was the head boy. An excellent all-round sportsman, he represented the then Orange Free State Province in cricket and rugby at schools’ level. He was the captain of his school’s cricket and rugby teams. Cronje earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of the Free State. He had an older brother, Frans Cronje, and a younger sister, Hester Parsons. His father Ewie had played for Orange Free State in the 1960s, and Frans had also played first-class cricket.
Who Is Hansie Cronje’s Wife?
Hansie’s wife is Bertha Cronje. Hansie Cronje married Bertha Hans on 8 April 1995, their marriage wasn’t long-lasting as Hansie died in the year 2002, and they happen to have no children. Hansie’s widow, Bertha Cronje later got remarried to Jacques Du Plessis, a financial auditor, in 2003. It was reported that the private ceremony was attended by Hansie’s parents and siblings, and close friends Jonty Rhodes and his wife Kate. In 2008, a biographical film titled Hansie: A True Story was released, where Frank Rautenbach played the part of Cronje.
Conclusion
On 1 June 2002, Cronje’s scheduled flight home from Johannesburg to George was grounded. He then hitched a ride as the only passenger aboard a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprop aircraft. Near George airport, the pilots lost visibility in clouds and were unable to land, partly due to unusable navigational equipment. While circling, the plane crashed into the Outeniqua Mountains northeast of the airport. Cronje, aged 32, and the two pilots were killed instantly.
In August 2006, an inquest into the plane crash was opened by South Africa’s High Court. The inquest concluded that “the death of the deceased Wessel Johannes Cronje was brought about by an act or omission prima facie amounting to an offence on the part of pilots.”
Conspiracy theories that Cronje was murdered on the orders of a cricket betting syndicate flourished after his death and were most recently re-floated by former Nottinghamshire coach Clive Rice in the wake of the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer in March 2007. It was alleged that he was murdered to hide the truths behind match-fixing.
