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THE Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student Sibongile Mani has been sentenced five years’ imprisonment on Wednesday for theft of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) millions.
Mani was found guilty of theft after she allegedly spent R800 000 of the R14-million, erroneously paid to her by Intellimali, an NSFAS service provider, in 2017.
Delivering the sentence, East London Regional Court’s magistrate Twanet Olivier said that a suspended sentence was not appropriate for Mani and that she was not a victim.
Olivier further said that Mani spent money not on essential items to stay alive, “it was 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.
Meanwhile, Mani’s lawyer argued that she never intentionally tried to deprive the NSFAS of money.
The State charges that Mani failed to report the error and embarked on a spending spree.
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 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 account.
–Inside Education