Opposition parties in Nelson Mandela Bay are contemplating legal action to overturn a vote of no confidence in Deputy Executive Mayor, Mongameli Bobani of the UDM.
The motion was tabled on Thursday by Progressive Alliance councillor, Marlon Daniels, and supported by the DA and COPE.
But, some opposition parties, including the UDM, ANC and the EFF walked out as the vote on the motion was underway.
Council Speaker, Jonathan Lawack, declared that the motion was carried by 60 votes, enough to oust Bobani, but this has been disputed by the opposition parties.
Nelson Mandela Bay region ANC spokesperson, Gift Ngqondi, told Algoa FM News that the decision to remove Bobani was illegal because the DA only had 60 votes which he said wasn't the majority.
Ngqondi added that the clear majority in council is 61.
He said they will either take legal action or petition the Speaker to convene another council to rectify the illegal decision that was taken.
"There was no clear majority in terms of taking that decision so we regard that decision as null and void," Ngqondi said.
Speaking to the media after the motion was passed, DA coalition partners said that due process had been followed.
Siyasanda Sijadu of COPE said that Council rules stipulate that once a matter has been put, no councillor should leave or enter the Chamber.
She said if a matter is put, a Councillor, by virtue of being in the Chamber had effectively participated in the discussions and debate.
"Councillors only moving out after the matter has been put is completely their fault, their issue we can cannot then say it's illegal what we did. The vote was made and the matter was put and some of them were there they choose to sing, dance and parade rather than actually stepping out if they chose to step out but they were inside the chamber and we voted whilst some of them were still inside the chamber," she said
Provincial DA Leader, Nqaba Banga, said the decision to remove Bobani was purely based on the individual and not the party he represents which is the UDM.
"The meeting today was about the removal of councillor Bobani, we have done that, we are going back to all of our partners and everybody to evaluate and take a decision on how to move forward therefore we have finished the first phase," he said
Meanwhile, the ousted Deputy Executive Mayor, Mongameli Bobani, said he would escalate things to a national level.
Bobani said he would wait for instruction from UDM leader, Bantu Holomisa, on what the way forward.
He added that it will be business as usual tomorrow (Friday), adding that he was still the Deputy Mayor of the metro.
"We are now waiting for now for national leadership to give guidance, if the the national leadership says do not go to the office tomorrow then I won't go to the office. We all defendant on our national leadership right now," Bobani said.
