THE BIRD ISLAND MEDIA REPORT

Fox Forensics Private Investigations and Security Consultants CC

Registration No: CK 2009/159987/23

PSIRA Reg. No: 1863525

ATT: To Whom It May Concern

Re: Investigation into death of Mark Minnie and paedophilia

This report contains excerpts of my original report to the Foundation Of Human Rights (FHR) dated

18/09/2018 and should be read in conjunction with that report. The purpose of this report is to

clarify certain points and facts and to make known facts that were not reported on in the original report because I did not see these as relevant at the time.

Please note that I will not report on or repeat the very many rumours and allegations concerning the matter –most of which were instigated or fabricated by the late Mark Minnie and the co-author

Chris Steyn.

It is of interest to note that Chris Steyn’s real and full name is Christina Gesina Barlow (59). She shares a dwelling in Hermanus with her 38 year old companion Benade Kruger. They are also coowners of a bookstore in Hermanus called “The Book Collector”. She is still legally married to Eben

Barlow who lives in London with his girlfriend. Eben Barlow is an ex Civil Co-operations Bureau (CCB) operative and the founder and CEO of Executive Outcomes. During the existence of the CCB Barlow worked under the command of General Magnus Malan.

During the first two weeks of my work in Port Elizabeth I had regular contact and meetings with

Chris and Benade (we stayed at the same hotel) and eventually also met Maryna Lamprecht – the nonfictional publisher of Tafelberg Publishers.

During the course of the second week I made it clear to Chris Steyn that I can prove beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt that Mark Minnie planned and executed his own suicide. She would not believe this and then came up with the idea that that a “third force” forced him to kill himself.

She later referred to this as “remote suicide”. She had no evidence to support this. On instruction of the FHR I was to work closely with Chris Steyn and share information with her. I was given a list of names of possible “witnesses” by her but not a single one led to any evidence or substantiated proof. Repeated requests to her to make known to me her witnesses that she did not expose to me as well as the so-called victims came to nothing.

During my second week of investigation I reported to Chris and Maryna that in my opinion and based on what I have uncovered the book should never have been published as it was NOT based on truth. They all returned to Cape Town shortly after that and from then on refused to talk to me or respond to messages I left.

Tafelberg Publishers advertised the fact that there will be a follow-up book by Mark Minnie that will expose even more scandal. I read both the manuscripts of the books that were found on his laptop. It is called “The Switch” and “Purple Tears”. There are no “exposures” in either book. It is pure fiction written by a man with an obsession with sex and killing someone in the most horrible way.

On the subject of sex: in the “lost Boys” book Minnie exposes as the truth how he was raped by twin homosexual brothers. The sad truth is that he was sexually abused and raped by his own step-father and not by the brothers. Those brothers are still alive today.

On 07/09/2019 I attended a meeting with the FHR in Johannesburg at the offices of Cliffe Decker Hofmeyer Inc. Present were some of South Africa’s top legal minds led by Advocate Howard Varney – acting for the FHR . Ms Jasmin Soofa – the director of FHR – was also present accompanied by her assistants. I reported my findings verbally and was thoroughly questioned on my findings.

On Saturday 08/09/2018 (my report to the FHC contains the incorrect date) I met with an ex Puma pilot in Pretoria (as reported). At that meeting he also mentioned to me that it was no secret that during those years the air force flew cabinet ministers and other dignitaries to Bird Island for fishing trips. To this day no evidence or witnesses were found or came forward to confirm that military helicopters were used to fly boys to Bird Island.

I subjected my full written report to the FHR on 19/09/2019 and even though the investigation was handed over to the police to investigate after my mandate was ended nothing developed in the matter. The investigation was given to Brigadier Harri of the CAPE TOWN Child Abuse unit. She reports directly to Maj. Gen Veary. I do not know why the matter was not given to the Port Elizabeth unit who has a very good reputation and obviously knows the area and its people well.

In summary – a further few points of interest:

1. There is still not a single shred of evidence to connect Gen. Malan or Min. Du Plessis to the paedophile ring that operated in Port Elizabeth in the 1980’s.
2. There is enough reason to believe that Minnie did not go to China to “be the good guy” and teach English. There is reason to believe that he in fact was hiding from certain criminal elements in the South African underworld.
3. Both Minnie and Steyn had the perfect opportunity during the period of the Truth and Reconciliation to “expose” this matter. Why did neither of them come forward then?
4. I feel strongly that justice was not served in this matter and that indeed a great injustice was done to A) The late Gen. Malan and his family. B) Min. Barend du Plessis and his family and C) The general public who bought the book in good faith with the understanding that it is the truth when in fact it is not. The public were therefore intentionally and knowingly misled with false reporting and publication in flagrant violation of the Human Rights of Malan, Du Plessis and the General Public who bought the books.

Please contact me for further information or clarity on any of the above content.

Wouter de Swardt