The five-year sentence meted out to former Walter Sisulu University student Sibongile Mani for spending R800 000 erroneously deposited into her bank account by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has sparked an outcry.
On Wednesday Mani, who was an accounting student when she spent the NSFAS money, was sentenced by the East London Regional Court Magistrate’s Court.
She was on an NSFAS grant of R1 400 a month when the student funder erroneously deposited R14 million into her bank account on 1 June 2017.
During the spending spree, Mani reportedly transformed herself and her friends into glamorous women.
They were often seen sporting expensive weaves, carrying iPhone 7 cellphones, and drinking shots of R700-a-bottle whisky.
Dubbed “millionaire student” the former student leader spent the loot on various other things including appliances, gifts, toys, alcohol, and cigarettes.
Finding Mani guilty of theft, Magistrate Twanette Olivier said the accused was aware of her actions and continued to spend lavishly.
By the time the anomaly was discovered, Mani had spent nearly a million rand – R818 000.
Mani, who is now a 31-year-old single mother of two children aged 10 and 13, has been sentenced to five years in prison for the theft of NSFAS funds.
Callers to radio stations mostly agreed that she was guilty of theft, but they said the sentence was too harsh for a first-time offender.
On social media, others lashed out at television stations that carried banners referring to Mani as a “thief”.
Some have pointed to other people who misappropriated university funds and were only asked to pay back the money.
About four years ago two former executives who swindled more than R14 million off the University of Johannesburg (UJ) were simply ordered to pay back the money.
Professor Roy Marcus the former chairperson of the university’s council and Jaco van Schoor the former deputy vice-chancellor of finance used fraudulent invoices to channel money intended for UJ’s projects to companies linked to them.
The court issued an order that the two must pay back the money.
At the time Lebogang Seale, Head of Strategic Communications at UJ, said the institution was challenging the court.
Some sympathisers on Twitter have even offered to pay back the money Mani stole provided she does not have to go to prison.
The Forum 4 Service Delivery said it had already made an inquiry to engage Mani’s lawyers and will further engage the family to appeal the harsh unfair sentence.
