BREAKING: NMB council removes Bobani as deputy mayor

The Nelson Mandela Bay council removed the UDM's Mongameli Bobani as deputy mayor on Thursday.

The official tally was 60 votes in favour of the motion by Patriotic Alliance councillor Marlon Daniels to remove Bobani.

The parties that supported the motion were DA, COPE and ACDP.

Daniels said Bobani was disruptive and was creating instability in the metro.

Opposition parties have, however, refused to accept the result as they had been walking out of the council chamber while voting on the motion was taking place.

They said the fact that some of their councillors were walking out of the chamber could not be regarded as them physically being in the house and thus making up the 61-member quorum needed to continue with the meeting.

City manager Johann Mettler has, however, clarified that even though they were walking out, they were still physically present while voting was taking place and when the voting results were declared.

The ANC said it would seek legal advice as they believed that there was a "serious misinterpretation" of the council rules. Bobani said he too would seek advice and that as far as he was concerned, he was still the deputy mayor.

The EFF believes that the decision was "illegal and a criminal act".

This is a developing story