Apartheid paedophile ring: Minnie 'feared for his life' once book came out - report

Mark Minnie, who co-authored a book about an alleged apartheid-era paedophile ring, feared for his life once the book came out, it was reported on Tuesday.

The ex-policeman was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound to the head at a friend's house in Theescombe‚ Port Elizabeth on Monday evening.  

Writing in the Daily Maverick, journalist Marianne Thamm said Minnie told her he feared for his life as a result of the investigation.

“During my meeting with him in Cape Town last year he informed me that he feared for his life and that the book would stir a hornets’ nest. He also said that those who had done the bidding of the former government were still around and had never been called to account‚” she wrote.

Thamm wrote the foreword to the book, The Lost Boys of Bird Island, which Minnie penned with investigative journalist Chris Steyn. The book claims that members of the ring would abduct or pay street children and fly them by helicopter to Bird Island‚ where they were abused.

Daily Maverick reported that further investigation was also being conducted into a “state-sanctioned” unit which might have been used to perform “staged suicides” during the apartheid years.

It also revealed that several more victims of the alleged paedophile ring‚ which is also said to have involved apartheid defence minister Magnus Malan‚ three National Party cabinet ministers and a prominent businessman, had come forward since the book was published this month.

Minnie‚ 58‚ was found on Monday evening at a friend's house in Theescombe‚ Port Elizabeth. He had a gunshot wound to the head. Allen and Wiley died – from apparent suicides – shortly after Minnie had arrested Allen for the possession of child pornography.

Police say 'no foul play' is suspected in Minnie's death.