NSFAS millionaire Sibongile Mani won’t be going to jail

Sibongile Mani has finally won the case which will see her avoiding jail time for spending money that was accidentally deposited into her account by The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

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Mani, who is 32 years old, was found guilty of theft after NSFAS accidentally deposited R14 million into her account (instead of R1 400 which was meant for her food allowance).

After spending less than 10% of this total, Mani was caught out and faced criminal charges. However, she has recently won an appeal that will see her avoiding a jail sentence for the debacle.

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RELIEF FOR NSFAS MILLIONAIRE

Mani was sentenced to a five-year jail term in 2022 for failing to report the misallocated funds and spending a portion of them. It is reported that after NSFAS erroneously deposited R14 million into her account, Mani went on an R800 000 shopping spree before she was busted. However, the mother of two has worked her way up the courts to appeal the case and on Monday 6 November, it was announced that she would not be facing jail time for her spending.

Sibongile Mani’s appeal on her sentence (5 year imprisonment) succeeds and has been given a wholly suspended 5 year sentence with conditions.

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— Tina (@Tina_Hokwana) November 6, 2023

The news was immediately greeted with celebration from social media users who believed she had been harshly treated in her sentencing. One impassioned follower responded to the news by saying, “It cant be right that Sibongile could be held accountable alone for malfeasance happening at Nasfas and errors committed by the corrupt officials of the fund as well as Blade Nzimande and his department. It couldn’t be right for her to be sacrificed …”

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TOUGH CHALLENGES FOR OTHER STUDENTS

While this victory might be a relief for Mani, many other South African students are fighting battles to secure their funds from NSFAS. A recent report claims that thousands of students have been left without any updates on delayed payments meant for their food allowances.

According to reports, this delay has affected close to 100 000 Nsfas students who are still waiting for their November payments. Nsfas has explained that their newly-implemented payment system is facing a number of challenges including delayed payments and high transaction costs.

ALSO READ: ‘We are hungry’: NSFAS recipients left stranded AGAIN

One hopes that not only will the students receive their funds, but that nobody will accidentally receive more than they are due!