In late December 1986, Barend’s secretary ‘phoned him from the Ministry’s Pretoria office, telling him that she had received an invitation from the office of Minister John Wiley to the inauguration of a new quay for boats ferrying gwano to Port Elizabeth harbour from Bird Island. It would take place during the second week of January 1987. He could join Gen Magnus Malan on PE Airport on Tuesday 8 January 1987, returning on Friday 11 January by helicopter. Since he had never been there before and there would be opportunity for fishing, he accepted the invitation.
Barend and Gen. Malan duly landed on the small island, welcomed by Minister John Wiley, and meeting Mr. Philip Myburgh, John Wiley’s former fellow member of the United Party; Mr. Hans Benecke (see affidavit) who was the Chairman of the guano-harvesting company and several other gentlemen. See attached photo made available by Gen Malan’s daugther from his detailed and meticulously kept written and photographic records of all his hunting and fishing trips.
To his great pleasure and pleasant surprise, du Plessis was immediately also greeted by Willie Maritz, (see affidavit) who, with his twin brother, were lifelong classmates and close friends, like brothers, of Barend’s eldest son Jean. Maritz, a marine biologist, then curator of the Port Elizabeth Aquarium, was on Bird Island doing research for his BSc Honns degree, inter alia on the large gannet and penguin populations on the island. His research required that for three years he had to visit the island for a week every seventh week, flown in and out with workers who were doing maintenance on the island’s lighthouse.
Maritz occupied the bungalow next to du Plessis, and often took him along when he caught gannets to examine the contents of their crops. Du Plessis was fascinated by the scientific protocols Willie had developed in his work and the amazing results it yielded. Willie also showed him around the island and pointed out the best fishing spots.
The three days were filled with fishing from the shoreline and from a ski-boat, and socialising, often with Maritz present and his penguin troop often happily marching right through the middle of the gathering, while traversing the island. See attached photos. Du Plessis thoroughly enjoyed the three days of his first and last ever visit to Bird Island, but certainly not for the despicable reasons that the detestable attempt at writing a story by two blatantly lying and maladjusted “authors”, tried to smear on him in “The Lost Boys of Bird Island”. And that, with the consent and support of the Directots of Media24.
When Barend du Plessis landed with Magnus Malan on Bird Island on Tuesday 8 January 1987, the only persons in the all-male group of adults, whom he had met before, were John Wiley and Willie Maritz. As host, John Wiley introduced him to the others, including who later turned out to be Dave Allan.
Until meeting him then, du Plessis never before had seen Dave Allan or heard anything about or from him. For the duration of the visit, Dave Allen was in charge of and took care of all the cooking and refreshment arrangements duties, as well as the boat-fishing excursions.
Dave Allen appears on the attached photo.
After the three days on the Island, du Plessis never saw Dave Allen again or spoke to him. The next time du Plessis heard of him, was when the media reported on his suicide and the book was launched. Du Plessis asserted that one of the many lies contained in the book “The Lost Boys of Bird Island” was the authors’ references to him often having been together with Dave Allen at paedophilia orgies where they purportedly got on “like a house on fire”. Barend described those allegations as “utter rubbish” and yet another of the authors’ malicious fabrications designed to enhance their flimsy fraudulent storyline.
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