Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student Sibongile Mani has been served with a five-year prison sentence by the court for theft relating to R14 million which was accidentally deposited into her account by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in 2017.
The East London Regional Court found Mani guilty of theft after she spent over R800 000 from the NSFAS money which was accidentally deposited into her account. Mani was accidentally paid R14 million instead of R1 400 in June 2017 by Intellimali, a Cape Town-based company.
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When delivering judgement magistrate Twanett Olivier said a suspended sentence was not suitable and warned that “misplaced pity” would not work in the decision taken because Mani knew exactly what she was doing. She was not a victim in any way.
The magistrate showed no leniency towards Mani stating that there are many students who were denied funding because of the money which was accidentally paid into her account. “The court has a duty to impose a fearlessly appropriate and fair sentence even if such a sentence would not satisfy public opinion,” said Olivier.
The student leader spent money on alcohol, cigarettes, clothes, furniture, beauty products, handbags, and groceries over a period of two months. None of the items listed were meant for education purposes and Mani made no attempt to report the money which had accidentally landed into her account. This was pure theft.
Source: News24, Eyewitness News, Sowetan Live, IOL, image from News24 of Sibongile Mani in court
