Thinus Ferreira

Killer the real 'moffie'

CAPE TOWN — "Be a man for once in your life and hand yourself over."

This was the sad plea from the father of one of eight young men who were massacred at a gay massage parlour in Sea Point on Monday.

Len Reade, father of 20-year-old Travis Reade, who worked at the salon under the pseudonym "Max", said he was furious at the man who ruthlessly "planted a bullet in my little boy's head".

"The thug that did this is a bigger 'moffie' (homosexual) than my son. What type of man ties someone up, stuffs a sock in his mouth and blows a hole in his head?

"My son may have been a homosexual, but what type of demon are you when you tie someone up before pulling the trigger?"

"I challenge him to show he is man enough. He must hand himself over to police. This murderer must pay for the lives he took, whether he was part of a gang or a revenge group."

Reade said he was trying to find out whether "Bryan" or "Ryan" was still alive.

These two 19-year-olds were friends of Travis, who stayed at the house in Graham Avenue.

"I saw the house for the first time on television on Monday night and I became hysterical when I realised it was the place where Travis lived. The shock was incredible.

"I didn't know it was a gay massage parlour. That comes as a shock to me. I immediately phoned the police."

Reade said his son moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town a while ago.

"He sent a SMS text message last week to tell us how he was doing.

"He said at the time that he had been assaulted by a client at work. Obviously, I didn't know then that he worked at a gay massage parlour."

Read said his biggest fear was always that his son might become involved in prostitution.

"I was always afraid that he would get involved with wrong things such as prostitution or with the wrong people."

Read said he was trying to raise R30 000 to pay for the eight men's funeral costs.

Peninsula funeral contractors already have undertaken to cremate the men at a lower tariff.

"I also want to start an organisation or fund to help people, who are caught up in prostitution and drugs.

"I want to tell young people who are going through this hell at present that they can get out; they can escape.

"There is assistance for everything. If you want to get out, take your things and leave," he said.