R20m won’t be handed to NSFAS fraudster
The Eastern Cape government has promised that a sum of R20m it pledged to Walter Sisulu University's (WSU) alumni convocation will not be paid directly to the convocation committee, which includes fraudster Sibongile Mani.
News24 reports that Mani went on a spending spree with millions mistakenly credited to her account by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
In March 2022, the East London Regional Court sentenced Mani to five years' imprisonment for the R14m theft.
She is appealing this verdict.
The WSU convocation assists the institution and the WSU foundation to raise funds for needy students.
The Eastern Cape office of the convocation elected Mani as its treasurer during an annual general meeting on Saturday – a day after Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane's special adviser, Zuko Godlimpi, pledged the funds at a fundraising gala dinner.
Provincial government's spokesperson, Khusela Rantjie, poured water over the concerns, revealing that ‘the money will be paid directly to the university, not the convocation’.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
