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Case of theft opened against WSU Sibongile Mani (R14 million NSFAS)

Update: A case of theft relating to the spending of more than R800‚000 has been opened by Intellimali.

 

The company which accidentally deposited R14-million in Walter Sisulu University student Sibongie Mani’s account. According to reposrts, the Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Miranda Mills said: “Intellimali officials laid a charge today at Berlin police station. The normal investigation procedures will be followed.”

 


 

sibongile mani arrested

 

Mani‚ who is the branch secretary of the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (Pasma) had her life turned upside down over the last week after it was revealed that she had spent more than R800‚000 of money that had accidentally been paid into her account. In a statement last week‚ Intellimali CEO Michael Ansell said: “The student … did not report the oversight but chose rather to access the funds.

 

When the error was discovered in early August 2017‚ she had misappropriated R818‚000.”

 

At the time the company said it would be meeting with the university and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to determine the appropriate action. Students at the university were this week left angered after Pasma and Mani arranged a media conference on Monday to tell their side of the story‚ where Mani was met with calls to “Pay Back the Money”.

 

Pasma chairperson Vuyo Langeni told TimesLIVE on Tuesday the organisation had organised the media conference to “set the record straight”.

“What happened last week was the University gave their statement‚ Intellimali gave their statement‚ NSFAS gave their statement‚ but we never got a chance to tell our side of the story‚” Langeni said.
“We also wanted to ask how her personal and confidential information came out. Her student number‚ ID number and even the course she was studying was leaked. She is now living in fear‚” he said.

 

Langeni said Pasma was hoping to help Mani with a lawyer who would be willing to represent her pro bono as well as organise counselling for her.

 

“She’s traumatised. We are trying by all means to ensure the environment she is in is a friendly and safe environment.

 

“She’s a student and she’s never been at the centre of a commotion like this. She’s had to deal with the media‚ with the hatred from other students‚ and she’s getting threats‚” Langeni said.
Update:

 

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As the scandals keep piling the young lady who received the R14 million rand, Sibongile mani is setting twitter alight with her hilarious tweets. See some on the funniest ones here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

People’s opinions on Sibongile Mani’s R14 million Rand fall out:

 

Kirsty Blair‏ @kirstblair tweeted:“Possibly the scariest thing about the #NSFAS payment is that no one missed R14mil for 5 MONTHS! How does that even happen?”

 

I said what I said‏ @nwah_B tweeted: “I said what I said Retweeted EWN Reporter. Imagine the incompetence in #NSFAS that they only noticed THEIR error because ivuswe kwi social media 😒 hay phu”

 

larry mdunge‏ @larrymdunge tweeted: “Look let’s not play each other like the previous months did okay @September”

 

Pearl‏ @Pearlmahlangu98 tweeted: “Replying to @JacundaM @DJFreshSA. She was probably chowing it with the accountant who transferred it to her account.”

 

#WhatYouBeenMissin‏ @TheVeZzy: “I swear there’s more to this #Nsfas WSU story than we hearing.. @SibongileMani knows something … expose them, I know you were just a face”

 

 


Walter Sisulu University: Picture from Google

 

The WSU student who got the R14m by accident also allegedly threw a baby shower for her friend one night at the club, as well as arranging a house party for her sister’s birthday. NSFAS spokesperson Kagisho Mamabolo said they had written to the university and asked for information about how this happened. “The university must account‚” he said.

 



 

Mzansi Responds

Twitter seems to be totally in agreement that they would not have done anything differently!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But other student are not too impressed!

 

 

#NSFAS didn’t pay R14 million to one student, it is practically impossible. WSU is responsible for paying students directly. It must account

— NSFAS (@myNSFAS) August 30, 2017

 

There’s no R14m of NSFAS that was sent to a student. It’s practically impossible. WSU must rectify their arrangements with intellicard.

— NSFAS (@myNSFAS) August 30, 2017

 

A Walter Sisulu University student allegedly went on a spending spree after an accidental payment of R14 million was made to her‚ while fellow students at the highly indebted Eastern Cape university have been in dispute over their food allowance applications.
It is understood the student was meant to receive an allowance of R1‚400 but an error resulted in the multi-million rand loan being paid into her account.

 

The news emerged as a male student was stabbed to death in an alcohol-fuelled party with friends at the weekend after allegedly splashing his food allowance on booze. Lectures were also halted for two days earlier this month on a campus .
University spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo confirmed that the university was looking into the R14 million payment matter‚ after students complained about her “lavish” spending.

 

Walter Sisulu Student

 

The female student allegedly spent more than R400‚000 since the payment was made five months ago.
Tukwayo said the food and book allowances could only be spent at specific merchants associated with the university‚ so the university would investigate how the student was able to buy some of the goods she bought.

“Some students picked this up from the very lavish lifestyle she started living. We will also be looking into how this money was spent to buy some of the expensive goods‚” she said. The mistake came from the third party company used to administer the payments‚ and the university said it would be looking into the matter‚ making use of a forensic team and meeting with the company’s management later on Wednesday.

 

WSU receives the funds from NSFAS and distributes it to students via a third party. Mamabolo said this incident was further evidence that the NSFAS payment system‚ called S-bux‚ needed to be centralised. The S-bux system is being used at 18 other institutions across the country.

 

Before her golden life – courtesy of a R14 million erroneous payment into her account – ended, a Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student blew about R818 000 of the money on nights at a champagne club, expensive clothes, an iPhone, a handbag, new hairstyles and manicures.

 

In less than five months, Sibongile Mani, a student at WSU’s East London campus, was a frequent visitor to the extravagant OHbrigado Champagne Bar.

 

 




 

 

Mani came into the spotlight when someone picked up one of her shopping receipts, which showed the available balance on her Intellicard debit card, administered by Intellimali, was R13 659 249.13, and posted the photo on social media.

 

Mani should have been paid a monthly food allowance of R1 400 as part of her financial support from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), but the amount deposited had an extra four zeroes on the end.
Intellimali, which pays out student grants and support money, has withdrawn the balance and closed the account for investigation.

 

Tukwayo said the university had met with the student and informed her that she would be liable for the money she had spent and that her accounts had been closed with immediate effect.
Walter Sisulu University Management has 30‚500 registered students of which 18‚144 are funded by the National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)

 




 

She has finally responded on Twitter, making light of the issue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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