UDM takes DA to court over removal

THE United Democratic Movement (UDM) has approached the courts in an effort to reverse councillor Mongameli Bobani’s removal as deputy mayor of Eastern Cape’s Nelson Mandela Bay.

The party went the legal route following the DA’s failure to reverse the decision yesterday.

It had threatened to pull out of the coalition agreement and seek legal remedy if the DA refused to reinstate Bobani to his position.

However, the UDM made a U-turn yesterday by not pulling out of the coalition, although it went ahead with the court action.

Bobani, who was ousted with 60 votes from the DA, ACDP, Cope and Patriotic Alliance, was accused of undermining the administration by voting with the ANC on numerous occasions.

Selfe urged Holomisa to “not waste any further time, to put the interests of the residents of the metro first and to nominate a new UDM councillor to take Bobani’s place in the government”.

Holomisa told the Cape Times’s sister paper, The Star, that the UDM had been committed on the coalition for some time “and we are still committed”.

Holomisa said they approached the courts yesterday “for them (lawyers) to say the last word on how the Bobani matter was handled in the council”.

Bobani had threatened that he would show up at work yesterday, despite being removed as deputy mayor.

But when contacted yesterday, he seemed to have done an about-turn, saying: “I’m not at work, we are busy… our legal fundis said I must not go near my workplace until they have sorted out this matter.”

DA executive mayor Athol Trollip could not be reached for comment.