The court trial against Walter Sisulu University student Sibongile Mani, accused of theft relating to R14m erroneously deposited to her NSFAS account last year, has been postponed to December 6.
This, after the 28-year-old’s lawyer Asanda Pakade told the East London regional court magistrate Nomthandazo Vabaza that he needed more time to finalise pre-trial engagements.
Pakade said there were still a few things he wanted to sort out with state prosecutor advocate Luthando Makoyi, which included access to documentation.
Mani was in good spirits in court, sitting in the gallery with a group of about 15 students mostly in Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania regalia. When Makoyi called her name to stand in the dock, she quickly put on a black leather jacket to cover her arms.
Vabaza said: “The case is postponed to December 6 at the request of the defence. This is to allow the defence to make representations and further requests from the state”.
Mani, now a third-year accounting student at WSU, was arrested by the Hawks on May 29 for theft after R14m was allocated to her “erroneously” for meals in June last year.
The case was opened by student funds distributors Intelimali on September 5 last year. The state charges in court documents that the R14m allocated to Mani for meals was caused by a “system error”. She was supposed to get her usual monthly meal allowance of R1,400...