The former Walter Sisulu University student who gained notoriety for a two-month spending spree after the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) erroneously credited her with R14m has since married, become a mother of two and is working to establish herself as a teacher.
The then second year accounting student splurged on expensive clothes, a Peruvian weave, flew to the Durban July race, threw parties and doled out favours to friends who slugged shots of whisky — the kind that costs R700 a bottle, the Sunday Times reported previously. This after more than R14m was deposited into her account in 2017, instead of the R1,400 she was entitled to as an NSFAS beneficiary.
By the time she was caught, she had spent R818‚000 in 73 days, the equivalent of R11,205 a day. At that rate it would have taken her four years to spend it all.
Since then the Komani resident has completed her degree, obtained an education honours qualification and is job hunting.
A contract teaching post ended in September, she told the Daily Dispatch newspaper.
Last week her five-year prison term was lifted by the Makhanda high court, which instead ordered the sentence to be suspended. She was placed under three years of correctional supervision and instructed to perform 576 hours, or just more than 14 weeks, of community service.
Mani has greeted the reprieve with relief and remorse.
“I am really grateful to get a second chance to go on with my life.
“It’s one of those thoughts that if [I hadn’t used the NSFAS credit], maybe I would be doing far better in life,” she told the Daily Dispatch.
— The full interview can be found in the Daily Dispatch
‘Millionaire NSFAS student’ Sibongile Mani working to recover from splurge on weaves and whiskey
Image: Supplied/File image
The former Walter Sisulu University student who gained notoriety for a two-month spending spree after the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) erroneously credited her with R14m has since married, become a mother of two and is working to establish herself as a teacher.
The then second year accounting student splurged on expensive clothes, a Peruvian weave, flew to the Durban July race, threw parties and doled out favours to friends who slugged shots of whisky — the kind that costs R700 a bottle, the Sunday Times reported previously. This after more than R14m was deposited into her account in 2017, instead of the R1,400 she was entitled to as an NSFAS beneficiary.
By the time she was caught, she had spent R818‚000 in 73 days, the equivalent of R11,205 a day. At that rate it would have taken her four years to spend it all.
Since then the Komani resident has completed her degree, obtained an education honours qualification and is job hunting.
A contract teaching post ended in September, she told the Daily Dispatch newspaper.
Last week her five-year prison term was lifted by the Makhanda high court, which instead ordered the sentence to be suspended. She was placed under three years of correctional supervision and instructed to perform 576 hours, or just more than 14 weeks, of community service.
Mani has greeted the reprieve with relief and remorse.
“I am really grateful to get a second chance to go on with my life.
“It’s one of those thoughts that if [I hadn’t used the NSFAS credit], maybe I would be doing far better in life,” she told the Daily Dispatch.
— The full interview can be found in the Daily Dispatch
READ MORE:
Sibongile Mani spared jail time after spending Nsfas cash paid in error
WENDY KNOWLER | Conscience trumps temptation, for no reward
NSFAS fraudster Sibongile Mani regrets spending R818,000
Intellimali apologises to NSFAS for R14.1m student payment blunder
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