FORM
6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report of
Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of November, 2009
Commission
file number: 1-14872
SAPPI
LIMITED
(Translation
of registrant’s name into English)
48
Ameshoff Street
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
|
Form
20-F
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X
-------
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Form
40-F
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Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (1):
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (7):
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in
this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
|
Yes
|
No
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X
-------
|
If “Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):
INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
Sappi
Limited’s announcement below furnished by the Registrant under this Form 6-K is
incorporated by reference into (i) the Registration Statements on Form S-8 of
the Registrant filed December 23, 1999 and December 15, 2004 in connection with
The Sappi Limited Share Incentive Scheme, (ii) the Section 10(a) Prospectus
relating to the offer and sale of the Registrant’s shares to Participants under
The Sappi Limited Share Incentive Scheme, (iii) the Registration Statements on
Form S-8 of the Registrant filed December 15, 2004 and December 21, 2005 in
connection with The Sappi Limited 2004 Performance Share Incentive Plan and (iv)
the Section 10(a) Prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the Registrant’s
shares to Participants under The Sappi Limited 2004 Performance Share Incentive
Plan.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
In order
to utilize the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”), Sappi Limited (the “Company”)
is providing the following cautionary statement. Except for historical
information contained herein, statements contained in this Report on Form 6-K
may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Reform
Act. The words “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate “, “plan”,
“assume”, “positioned”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “risk” and other similar
expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends
which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements.
In addition, this Report on Form 6-K may include forward-looking statements
relating to the Company’s potential exposure to various types of market risks,
such as interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk and commodity price risk.
Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are in some cases
beyond the control of the Company, together with its subsidiaries (the “Group”),
and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Group to
differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements (and from past results,
performance or achievements). Certain factors that may cause such differences
include but are not limited to: the highly cyclical nature of the pulp and paper
industry; the impact of the global economic downturn on the Group’s business;
pulp and paper production, production capacity, input costs including raw
materials, energy and employee costs, and pricing levels in North America,
Europe, Asia and southern Africa; any major disruption in production at the
Group’s key facilities; changes in environmental, tax and other laws and
regulations; adverse changes in the markets for the Group’s products; any
delays, unexpected costs or other problems experienced with any business
acquired or to be acquired and achieving expected savings and synergies;
consequences of the Group’s leverage; adverse changes in the South African
political situation and economy or the effect of governmental efforts to address
present or future economic or social problems; and the impact of future
investments, acquisitions and dispositions (including the financing of
investments and acquisitions) and any delays, unexpected costs or other problems
experienced in connection with dispositions. These and other risks,
uncertainties and factors are discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form
20-F and other filings with and submissions to the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including this Report on Form 6-K. Shareholders and prospective
investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of the
submission of this Report on Form 6-K and are not intended to give any assurance
as to future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or
revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new
information or future events or circumstances or otherwise.
 |
Sappi
Limited
|
Announcement
09 November
2009
Peter
Mageza to join Sappi Limited board
Sappi Limited, the
global pulp and paper group, today announced that Mr Peter Mageza will join the
Sappi Limited board with effect from 01 January 2010 as an independent
non-executive director, following the retirements of Mr David Brink and Dr
Franklin Sonn from the Sappi Limited board on 31 December 2009.
Mr Mageza (54),
joins the Sappi board after having held senior executive positions across a wide
range of industries. He is a former Group Chief Operating Officer of ABSA Group
Limited; Assistant General Manager for Process Management at Nedcor Limited and
Chief Executive Officer of Autonet, the road passenger and freight logistics
division of Transnet Limited. He serves as a non-executive director on the
boards of Bidvest Group Limited and Rainbow Chickens Limited. He is a Chartered
Certified Accountant and a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified
Accountants (ACCA) in the UK.
ENDS
NOTE TO
EDITORS:
Additional
information on Mr Peter Nkateko Mageza:
Career:
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1988-1992
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Audit Senior
and Audit Manager at Coopers & Lybrand Chartered Accountants
(SA)
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1993-1998
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Various
senior positions rising to Chief Executive Officer of Autonet, the road
passenger and freight logistics division of Transnet
Limited
|
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1998-1999
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Assistant
General Manager for Process Management at Nedcor
Limited
|
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2000-2009
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Various
senior positions rising to Group Chief Operating Officer for ABSA Group
Limited
|
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2000-2004
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Managing
Executive / CEO – Bankfin (now ABSA Vehicle and Asset
Finance)
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2003-2004
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Executive
Director – Wealth Management
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2004-2006
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Executive
Director – Africa, Vehicle and Asset
Finance
|
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2006-2009
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Group Chief
Operating Officer
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Mr Mageza’s
responsibilities as Executive Director for Africa at ABSA included companies in
Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Angola.
For further
information:
André F
Oberholzer
Group Head
Corporate Affairs
Sappi Limited (Reg
No 1936/008963/06)
Tel +27 (0)11 407
8044
Fax +27
(0)11 403 8236
Mobile +27
(0)83 235 2973
Andre.Oberholzer@sappi.com
SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
Date: November
9, 2009
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SAPPI
LIMITED,
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| by | /s/ L. Newman | |
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Name: L.
Newman
Title: Group
Financial Controller
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