SOUTH AFRICA

MPs demand answers after R14 million student deposit
Members of Parliament have rejected assertions by the Walter Sisulu University‚ service provider Intellimali and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme that there was foul play in the ‘erroneous’ payment of R14 million (US$1 million) into a student’s account, writes Thabo Mokone for Times Live.The lawmakers from across the political divide pointed their guns at the three entities‚ with some telling Intellimali that they were too quick to lay criminal charges against student Sibongile Mani‚ while the role of their employees has not been investigated in the matter. MPs also called on the higher education department to consider a review of the system used by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and universities to pay living allowances to students‚ saying there was no need for ‘middlemen’ to be involved in the distribution of billions of rand.
Mani grabbed headlines earlier this month when she went on a huge spending spree amounting to more than R800‚000 when R14 million – instead of her monthly allowance of R1‚400 – was ‘erroneously’ deposited into her account.
Full report on the Times Live site