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For a brief moment back in 2017, Sibongile Mani was living the high life.

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, she’s the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student who accidentally had R14 million plonked into her account from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

She was an accounting student at the time and was supposed to receive R1 400.

What happened next? She blew through the money with some stupendous spending, became a full-blown celeb on campus, and rustled up much conjecture about how she would pay back the money.

South Africans and paying back the money – there are two things that are not in the same WhatsApp group.

Before the missing money (or Mani, if you like crummy puns) was discovered, the student had blown through around R810 000 in less than three months, which included buying Peruvian wigs, designer clothes, handbags. and expensive smartphones.

She also threw surprise birthday parties for her friends and used some of the money to fly to events like the Durban July.

During this entire spending spree, her grandmother who raised her continued living in poverty.

Yesterday, reports TimesLIVE, Mani had her application to have her theft case discharged refused by the East London regional court:

Mani made a four-hour long appearance in court accompanied by a woman who identified herself as a friend.

Mani’s defence attorney Asanda Pakade [both pictured below] brought the application to have the case discharged in terms of section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

Image: Malibongwe Dayimani / Daily Dispatch

The section provides for the accused to be discharged if the court is of the opinion there is no evidence that the accused committed the offence,  or it may return a verdict of not guilty.

Pakade said Mani had no intention to deprive the NSFAS of the funds…

Pakade argued that before the transfer of the money into Mani’s student account, the accused did not act or initiate any process leading to the transfer.

That might be true, but prosecutor Luthando Makoyi rejected the application, arguing that when Mani received the money and decided to spend it, she was aware she was not meant to.

Makoyi also pointed out that witnesses who testified in the case proved Mani “knew very well” that she was only supposed to receive R1 400 from NSFAS.

Just a few extra zeros flying around for good measure – sort of like an Eskom tender for knee guards or wooden mops.

Mani is out on bail, with the matter now postponed to November 4.

[source:timeslive]