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WENDY MOTHATA|
A SUPPORT group called the Justice for Sibongile Mani said that the Walter Sisulu student accused of theft of NSFAS millions was used as a scapegoat.
Briefing the media this week, the group slammed Mani’s conviction and sentencing to four years in jail.
“We believe she is not a criminal as proclaimed by some in the media. She is an innocent who is used as a scapegoat to cover tracks of actual criminals that are still out there roaming around without taking any responsibility,” the group said.
Mani is currently out on bail after she was granted leave to appeal by the East London regional court.
In a bid to keep Mani out of jail, the group announced that the president of the WSU convocation, advocate Thembeka Ngcukaithobi will help Mani’s legal team in appealing the sentence.
Mani’s matter will be heard on the 11th of April.
Businessman and “The People’s Blesser” Malcolm X has since pledged to pay R500 000 in a desperate attempt to get convicted Mani out of jail.
Mani was found guilty of theft after she allegedly splashed R800 000 of the R14-million on parties and designer clothes.
The money in question was erroneously paid to her by Intellimali, a service provider contracted by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), in 2017.
Last week, the East London Regional Court’s magistrate Twanet Olivier said that a suspended sentence was not appropriate for Mani and sentenced her to five years in jail.
Olivier further said that Mani spent money not on essential items to stay alive, adding that she spent the cash on luxury items “inspired by greed and not need.”
“The court has a duty to impose a fearlessly appropriate and fair sentence even if such a
sentence would not satisfy public opinion,” Olivier said.
“The only form of sentence deemed fit by this court is that of direct imprisonment and you
are sentenced to a term of 5 years imprisonment,” said Olivier.
According to the state, between 1 June, when the money landed in her account, until 13
August, when NSFAS uncovered the error, she had spent an average of R11 000 per day.
The then accounting major student was due to receive her monthly R1 400 food allowance, but because of what was described in court as a “ridiculous and absurd technical glitch”, R14 million was credited to her bank account.
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