Sibongile Mani

The student who spent NSFAS money paid erroneously into her account faces five years in prison, but her supporters say the company responsible for the error ...

“The politicians steal from the poor and get away with it. She was the first to attend university. About 100 members of the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (Pasma), to which Mani belongs, have supported her at each court appearance. “I was told that on the morning of the first [of the month], when your food allowance should have been paid in, you were hungry. Mani is a 31-year-old, single mother of two children aged 10 and 13. She sent her mother vouchers to buy food.

After the sentencing, the defence expressed its intention to appeal both the conviction and the sentence, and the case was provisionally postponed to April ...

"She also spent the money in different towns, which was proof that she had planned the theft. Mani remains out on bail," said NPA spokesperson in the Eastern Cape, Luxolo Tyali. Mani remains out on bail.

Walter Sisulu University student Sibongile Mani's attorney said on Wednesday the East London regional court was mistaken to find her guilty of theft, ...

The system is anti-black and seeks to oppress black people, hence we should fight the system.” “You were given the benefit of studying at Walter Sisulu University. You were a beneficiary of food allowances in 2016 and 2017... The manner in which the offence was executed is aggravating.” It cannot be said that at the time of the incident you were a victim. We are ready to oppose an appeal because we believe this sentence is appropriate and fits the crime. “I’m mindful of the fact that funding comes directly from taxpayers’ pockets. We feel like she is being used as a scapegoat.” The sentence is shocking to say the least. It remains unanswered as to what happened to the luxury items ... You have been silent on this. We are still hoping for a suspended sentence. “Those were conscious decisions you took every day. Hence we say the high court will definitely come to a reasonable conclusion of this matter and we are ready for that.

Mani, on Wednesday, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for theft relating to R14m erroneously credited to her account by the National Student Financial ...

While we are still on the sentencing on Sibongile Mani— Belinda Pheto (@BelindaaPheto) #nsfas14mstoryDo we know what happened to the person who sent the money? The reality is that Sibongile did not break into a vault and steal R14m,” said Saus. It is also true that there was the wise option of alerting the university or NSFAS about the error. This could have happened in the case of any other young adult in similar circumstances,” Godlimpi said. “It is true that the money received by the student was not due to her. NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said Mani’s sentence is subject to the provisions of section 276(1)i of the Criminal Procedure Act, which could see her eligible for parole after about 10 months.

Walter Sisulu University student Sibongile Mani has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment after R14 million was accidentally credited to her account by ...

She instead embarked on a spending spree. During judgment, Olivier told Mani the receipts of her expenditure indicated that "you had definitely planned per day as to how much you can spend per day in as many places as possible on any given date". The court dismissed Mani's version that she had no intention of depriving NSFAS of its money and had no knowledge of the specification of the loan agreement she had with NSFAS. In handing down the sentence on Wednesday, Olivier said the court was of the view that a suspended sentence was totally inappropriate. The court considered Mani's age and health, and Magistrate Olivier stated that Mani was an adult when she committed the crime. Olivier said the court considered the fact that Mani was a first-time offender.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has slammed the criminal prosecution of the convicted student thief, Sibongile Mani, who spent more than R800 000 ...

They slammed the decision to prosecute Mani. The Eastern Cape ANCYL also said the appropriate sentence would have been a suspended sentence bound to community service and not jail time. The ANCYL said it acknowledged that Mani used the funds which were not due to her and she had an option to alert the university about the error, but did not do so. They also called for a non-custodial sentence. “The service provider could have pursued other means to recover the money from the student once she completed her qualification and obtained gainful employment,” said the state bursar. “This has the effect of destroying a young person’s future, thereby unfairly allotting all the blame on the student and none on the system of the service provider that should have prevented an erroneous transaction from having to be effected.

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student Sibongile Mani's conviction and sentence have prompted mixed reactions on social media, with many saying she is a ...

While we are still on the sentencing on Sibongile Mani— Belinda Pheto (@BelindaaPheto) #nsfas14mstoryDo we know what happened to the person who sent the money? The reality is that Sibongile did not break into a vault and steal R14m,” said Saus. It is also true that there was the wise option of alerting the university or NSFAS about the error. This could have happened in the case of any other young adult in similar circumstances,” Godlimpi said. “It is true that the money received by the student was not due to her. NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said Mani’s sentence is subject to the provisions of section 276(1)i of the Criminal Procedure Act, which could see her eligible for parole after about 10 months.

Sibongile Mani is not considered a threat to society and had never been convicted of crime before this NSFAS saga. Mani's lawyer, Asanda Pakade said the ...

It is believed that she splurged the money on weaves, cellphones, and luxury goods. Sibongile Mani Photograph: Facebook Sibongile Mani Photograph: Facebook

Walter Sisulu University student Sibongile Mani is set to launch an appeal against the five-year jail sentence imposed on her by the Eastern Cape Regional ...