Francois Swart, the managing director of Priority Escapes, a travel agency based in Fourways, is currently the subject of a police manhunt in Limpopo.
Where is Francois Swart? – Priority Escapes founder is a wanted man
He is accused of defrauding potential holidaymakers of substantial sums of money. The police have issued an arrest warrant for the 39-year-old, following allegations of his involvement in a significant travel fraud case.
Swart’s alleged scheme involved charging companies large amounts with the promise of arranging holidays in Limpopo.
However, the documents he provided to confirm these arrangements turned out to be fraudulent. Victims discovered that their holidays, supposedly paid in full, were, in fact, not booked at all.
In August, Swisher Post published an exposé about Priority Escapes’s extensive history of fraudulently selling travel packages to Mauritius, a scheme he accelerated with endorsement from renowned celebrities such as Miss Univers Zozibini Tunzi and actress Thando Thabethe.
Feeling the heat back then, Swart sent an email to would-be holidaymakers, informing them that the travel company was “unable to meet [its] financial obligations in respect of clients and service providers.”
“We have had no option other than to cease trading with immediate effect. This unfortunately will have an affect on your upcoming holiday to the Maldives which is now not able to take place,” Swart revealed.
In this matter, the case has since escalated with the involvement of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit on the representation of two complainants who filed a criminal complaint against Swart at the Modimolle Police Station in August.
These complainants were reportedly defrauded of over R130 000. Advocate Gerrie Nel, head of the unit, described the case, saying,
“The suspect received full payment from the complainants for him to fulfil holiday arrangements on their behalf.” He further noted, “The misrepresentation was furthered when the suspect issued documents purporting that the holiday was arranged and paid in full. It has since been confirmed that the documents the complainants received are false”.”
On 7 December 2023, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that a J50 warrant of arrest had been issued against Swart.
Nel commented on the investigation’s progress, stating,
“We are hopeful that this matter will now receive the attention it deserves and reiterate that society demands that complaints are dealt with speedily and that the principle of ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ is firmly restored in the Criminal Justice System.”
He also expressed confidence in the SAPS’s ability to arrest Swart, saying, “We accept that the SAPS will not have any difficulty to arrest the suspect”.
The authorities and AfriForum are actively seeking information on Swart’s whereabouts and urge anyone with knowledge to provide details to the police or contact the unit directly.