Jan Bornman
Sibongile Mani, the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student who accidentally received more than R14m from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) and went on a spending spree in 2017, appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Anelisa Feni confirmed that Mani, 28, was arrested on Tuesday by the Serious Commercial Crime Unit of the Eastern Cape Hawks, after it requested that she hand herself over.
She has been charged with theft.
Mani accidentally received the Nsfas payment of R14.1m and went on a three-month spending spree.
“She allegedly spent just over R810 000 of this amount on personal items over a period of three months before the anomaly was detected by the scheme,” Feni said.
She was the branch secretary of the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania at East London’s Potsdam campus, when her life transformed overnight, from that of an ordinary student to a socialite.
Mani was released on a warning and was expected back in court on July 2. – News24
