Sibongile Mani, a student at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in South Africa, faced a unique situation when she discovered nearly $1 million mistakenly deposited into her bank account.
Instead of reporting the error, she made the controversial decision to spend the entire amount.
Typically relying on monthly benefits of around $100 for her school expenses, Mani woke up one morning to find an astonishing 14 million rands ($760,000) in her account due to an accidental government aid scheme transfer.
Seeing this as an unexpected opportunity, she embarked on a lavish shopping spree.
In the days that followed, Mani treated herself to luxurious items such as fancy clothes, the newest iPhone, and costly bottles of alcohol.
However, her extravagant spending caught people's notice when she accidentally forgot a bank receipt at a supermarket, which eventually revealed her actions to others.
Samkelo Mqhayi, a South African Students Congress representative, commented on Mani's unexpected and extravagant spending.
A leaked supermarket receipt showed that she had a balance of 13.6 million rand in her account.
She used this money to host parties for her friends and generously give them extravagant presents, seemingly without any worries or hesitation.
As a result, Mani had to face legal repercussions for what she had done. She was arrested and accused of stealing and committing fraud in 2017.
Eventually, in 2022, she was sentenced to five years in prison.
However, her lawyer, Asanda Pakade, appealed the decision, claiming that Mani did not pose a threat to society and did not intentionally seek out the mistakenly deposited funds.
During a 2023 hearing at the East London High Court in Makhanda, two judges suspended Mani's sentence on the condition that she committed no further theft or fraud.
Additionally, she was ordered to complete 14 weeks of community service and undergo counseling, but she was not required to repay the amount she had spent.
Mani saw the unexpected fortune as a divine blessing, considering it a "miracle" and a "gift from God."
Surprisingly, she showed no regret for her behavior. Her lawyer, Pakade, mentioned that Mani felt a sense of relief and was enthusiastic about starting anew, focusing on rebuilding her life and putting this incident behind her.
