By: Natasha Archary
Sibongile Mani has been sentenced to 5-years in jail for the theft of more than R800 000 in NSFAS funds.
The former Walter Sisulu University student was accused of stealing R14 million from NSFAS and was in February convicted of the theft.
This after Mani spent R818 000 of the money that was mistakenly transferred to her account.
In 2017, Sibongile Mani received R14 million from NSFAS instead of R 1 400. She then went on a spending spree in 48 different stores, across various cities.
Her spending spree included groceries, handbags and luxury items in East London and George. Within hours that the technical error was made, Mani had spent R20 000.
She continued to spend exuberantly until her account was blocked in July 2017.
Mani was arrested in May 2018 by the Hawks were a lengthy court battle to prove her innocence ensued.
Her legal team argued that she was not guilty of theft as the error was made on the part of Intellimali, a Cape Town based company who manages payments to students on behalf of NSFAS.
However, the Eastern Cape Regional Court ruled that because Mani had knowingly spent the money and failed to report the error meant she should be held liable.
On Wednesday, the judge overturned Mani’s plea for a suspended sentence.
“The court has indeed taken into account the facts of the case, the manner in which the offence was committed and executed which is aggravating. Therefore the sentence is blended as required, and the court is guided by various case law, on evaluation that a suspended sentence is totally inappropriate. The only form of sentence this court deems appropriate is that of direct imprisonment. You are therefore sentenced to a term of 5-years imprisonment.”
Judge Twanet Olivier ruled
Also read: Netflix SA under fire for excluding Indian celebrities at Bridgerton soireé
