HARDLY a week after Sowetan exposed that the Nkomazi municipality in Mpumalanga was unable to account for R150 million during its 2009/2010 financial year, it is again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons

The municipality has overspent its budget by a whopping R104 million, only six months into its financial year which started on July 1 last year.

Sowetan has learnt that the Nkomazi municipality held an "extended management meeting" on Monday in which officials responsible for its finances warned acting municipal manager Robert Mkhantswa about the latest development.

Asked to comment about the latest development Mkhantswa simply said he was involved in another meeting that was going to take "nearly the whole day".

But Cyril Ripinga, the municipality spokesperson, confirmed that the extended management meeting did take place on Monday.

He however accused Sowetan's sources of being "hell bent to see the municipality in financial troubles".

"We did have the meeting but there was no discussion about the R104million you are talking about.

"Not so long ago people were saying the municipality's bank account was empty and now this.

"Your sources seem hell bent to see the municipality in financial troubles," Ripinga said yesterday.

The municipality has attracted the media for the wrong reasons since November 4 2008, the day it suspended its municipal manager, Sabelo Shabangu, who was accused of, among other charges, maladministration.

Shabangu was on suspension from that day until June 10 last year when he was fired about 18 months after the suspension and without testifying in his defence.

Financial problems emerged in the municipality shortly after the appointment of an acting manager, Thokozani Siboza, and later Mkhantswa.

The chief financial officer Sheila Mabaso is on suspension for alleged financial irregularities.

She recently claimed that the bank called her when she was on sick leave between September and November last year asking her why the municipality's bank account was empty.