Latest news with #Swanepoel
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Private prosecution against former FNDC lawyer George Swanepoel won't include new allegations
In August 2020, Swanepoel allegedly sent two emails to the Companies Office saying the physical address of the pontoon Claydon had provided for his business was not a valid address. Claydon went to police seeking a prosecution alleging Swanepoel had submitted a form using false claims. Police declined to proceed with a prosecution so Claydon filed a private prosecution against Swanepoel in 2021, which, to date, has no trial date allocated. In the charging document offence description, Claydon alleges Swanepoel made fictitious messages designed to disrupt his family business, waste his time and harass him and his family. 'He actually did harass myself and my family causing extreme stress and did disrupt our business causing significant loss,' the charging document states. Initially, the District Court allowed the charge to proceed as a representative charge to which Swanepoel pleaded not guilty. But in 2023, Judge Philip Rzepecky amended the charge to focus solely on two emails sent on August 24, 2020, and gave Claydon permission to file additional charges based on other alleged communications. Claydon responded by submitting 20 new charges, ranging from further Telecommunications Act violations to allegations under the Crimes Act, Harassment Act, and Summary Offences Act. These included claims of blackmail, fraud, harassment, and attempts to pervert the course of justice. At a pre-trial hearing in September 2024, Judge Rzepecky ruled none of the new charges could be accepted for filing. He found they were 'fresh' charges and were not appropriately linked to the original incident. Twelve of the charges were time-barred, falling outside the six-month limitation period. The remaining eight were dismissed for lack of sufficient evidence to justify a trial. Claydon appealed the decision, claiming the judge failed to consider his personal circumstances, including difficulty in particularising dates and details. Justice David Johnstone rejected Claydon's appeal and agreed, in a recently released decision, the 20 new charges were fresh allegations. 'Mr Claydon suggests he was taken by surprise by a police decision not to prosecute Mr Swanepoel, and for that reason acted reasonably in filing only one, broadly framed, charge,' Justice Johnstone said in his decision. 'As a prosecutor, however, Mr Claydon bears the responsibility of bringing proceedings correctly, in accordance with the CPA. His own circumstances at the time he elected to pursue a private prosecution are irrelevant to the circumstances of Mr Swanepoel's alleged offences.' With the appeal denied, Claydon is left with one original charge to prosecute which is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing in September. Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Greater Springs Soup Kitchen spreads warmth in honour of Mandela Day
In honour of Mandela Day, the Greater Springs Soup Kitchen team spent 67 minutes making sure those in need were well fed. They served boerewors rolls and a cold drink next to Liquor City in Geduld. This is nothing new for the team, as the soup kitchen operates every Saturday in the Meat Mecca parking area in Geduld. 'We wanted to give back to the community because we are blessed. There is a great need, and many people are unemployed. This is our way of honouring God,' said the founder, Franci Swanepoel. She said the donations they receive from generous community members have made initiatives like this possible. Swanepoel encouraged the community to prioritise helping those in need — not only on Mandela Day, but every day. 'If you have the means, please look out for your fellow community members — even if it's just by giving one loaf of bread or a packet of soup. All the small gestures make a big difference,' she said. She also praised her dedicated team of volunteers for stepping up to uplift the community and honour Madiba's dream of peace and equality. 'Mandela set the example for us. Therefore, we have a responsibility to make an impact and promote unity among all racial and ethnic groups. He wanted peace for everyone, and that's what we're trying to achieve to honour his legacy,' Swanepoel added. Among the volunteers was Lizelle Vorster, a regular donor who has long been involved in similar outreach programmes. 'It upsets me to see people — especially children — on the streets in winter. Seeing them happy after receiving a meal warms my heart. Knowing I've made a difference in someone's life brings me so much joy,' Vorster said. ALSO CHECK: Liebherr Africa Springs team cleans up for Mandela Day ALSO CHECK: Springs court sentences rapist to 15 years behind bars for 2024 attack on woman At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Business Insider
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Jarden Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Contact Energy Limited (COENF)
Jarden analyst Grant Swanepoel maintained a Buy rating on Contact Energy Limited yesterday. The company's shares closed last Tuesday at $5.11. Don't Miss TipRanks' Half-Year Sale Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. According to TipRanks, Swanepoel is an analyst with an average return of -6.4% and a 44.83% success rate. The analyst consensus on Contact Energy Limited is currently a Moderate Buy rating. COENF market cap is currently $4.36B and has a P/E ratio of 32.07. Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 25 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of COENF in relation to earlier this year.
The Citizen
28-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Crematorium steps in to cremate homeless man in eMalahleni
The local crematorium in eMalaheni cremated a homeless man at no cost after reading about a woman's plea to give him a decent funeral. Unieta Swanepoel's plea on social media had a far-reaching effect, as the public also contributed money to help with the cremation costs, and now they want to know what happened to the money. Swanepoel said the cremation was estimated to cost R10 000 and she paid R1 000 towards it. She said the funeral home where Breedt's body was held wanted R4 500 to release the body, and they took the R1 000 she paid in and R1 000 another woman paid directly to the funeral home. 'Another R500 was paid into my account and I used it to pay for diesel and airtime to organise everything,' she told WITBANK NEWS. Swanepoel said she was now distancing herself from the funeral arrangements and, said a ceremony would be held for Breedt on Monday at a church in Stevenson Street. 'I just want to thank everyone who did help, and those who did not and withdrew over a post about me, that was me in the past I was really looking for help with Johannes,' she said. Breedt died on June 17. According to his death certificate he died of natural causes. Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok Chat to us: info@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Business Insider
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Jarden Keeps Their Buy Rating on Fletcher Building Limited (FRCEF)
In a report released on June 24, Grant Swanepoel from Jarden maintained a Buy rating on Fletcher Building Limited (FRCEF – Research Report). The company's shares closed last Tuesday at $1.85. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Swanepoel is ranked #8225 out of 9622 analysts. In addition to Jarden, Fletcher Building Limited also received a Buy from Citi's Samuel Seow in a report issued on June 18. However, yesterday, UBS maintained a Hold rating on Fletcher Building Limited (Other OTC: FRCEF).
