As if their lives weren't complicated enough, help has now (almost) been offered to members of the Hefer Commission by an individual named Queenie.

That's not his real name (although he seems to like it). We aren't allowed to divulge his true identity. But The Star can say that to call him a "suspect source" would probably be an understatement.

Queenie trades in information, and thrives on secrecy and on state protection of witnesses and informers.

During his short life - he is allegedly 21 years old - he has claimed many times that he has had to flee for fear of being killed.

But this hasn't deterred him from giving evidence in a remarkable number of the high-profile investigations that have gripped the country's imagination in recent years.

Queenie has been in prison for fraud and theft, was kicked out of a witness-protection programme for making trouble - and has even borrowed money from some esteemed members of the legal profession because he was "fleeing for his life".

But he is best known for making up stories about newsworthy incidents.

He has an impressive record of divulging sensitive information. He has given investigators half-baked information on urban terrorism and even about molestation claims against a high-ranking politician.

Then he set his sights on the Jali Commission, which is investigating corruption in South African prisons.

His information on urban terrorism and "corruption" among prison personnel bought him some valuable time away from prison - in witness protection. That was, of course, before he was booted off the programme for making trouble.

His latest victim seems to be Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana. Queenie told Mushwana he had "sensitive information" about top government officials, private individuals and certain institutions - information of the sort that would interest the Hefer Commission.

The information was, it seems, gathered by Queenie while he was in witness protection. He has also claimed to have information about the murder of the Enous couple, who were on the programme and were murdered two years ago in a safe-house in Gouda, Western Cape.

Last Tuesday, a spokesperson for Mushwana's office said the information had been divulged by "an individual in the Eastern Cape" who insisted on giving it only to the public protector directly. She refused to divulge the contents of the received information "due to the sensitive nature of the allegations".

In a statement on Monday, Mushwana said his office had last week received, from this person, sensitive information relating to top government officials, private individuals and certain institutions. And Mushwana said he would be forwarding this sensitive information from "an individual in the Eastern Cape" to the Hefer Commission.

But Mushwana has now changed his mind. Mushwana said he realised that his source was "suspect" and decided not to refer the information to the commission.

"The individual consulted a psychiatrist on various occasions in the past and claims to be under a great deal of stress at the moment," Mushwana said.

But might this not be true of everyone who has come to the commission?

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis, Jeremy Gorkin and The Star.