Mandela Bay. The opposition parties, including Bobani, staged a walkout when the Speaker did not allow more than one member of each political party to debate the motion. The Speaker Jonathan Lawack announced after the vote that the motion had passed with 60 members in favour of his removal. Bobani subsequently filed an urgent application to be reinstated as Deputy Executive Mayor, since the meeting was deemed illegal by opposition parties because they alleged there was no quorum. The Eastern Cape High Court dismissed the application. The UDM released a statement stating that the party had withdrawn from the coalition agreement. The Patriotic Alliance replaced the UDM, but later also withdrew. In December 2017, Trollip announced that Lance Grootboom of the African Christian Democratic Party would fill the position of MMC for Public Health. The department was under Trollip's direct political rule since Bobani's dismissal in May. Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay (2018–2019) Election On 27 August 2018, DA councillor Victor Manyati abstained from supporting his party's speaker, Jonathan Lawack. Lawack was removed from his position by 60 votes to 59. The DA and its supporters then left the council, and in their absence, Bobani was elected mayor, with 61 votes in favour and zero against. When Bobani was declared mayor, he immediately appointed a mayoral committee consisting almost entirely of ANC members, including controversial ANC councillor, Andile Lungisa. The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality is now governed by a multi-party coalition consisting of the ANC, UDM, AIC and UF. The Democratic Alliance filed an urgent application after Bobani was elected to reinstate Trollip as Mayor. The Eastern Cape High Court dismissed the application on 20 September 2018 and said that Democratic Alliance councillor, Victor Manyati, who voted with the opposition parties, was, in fact, a councillor until he resigned. Tenure In September 2018, he announced that new water tariffs would be introduced which would ensure that residents' municipal water bills be lowered. Recent rainfall had enabled the reduction of water tariffs from Part C to Part B. Also in September, he placed Johann Mettler, the municipal manager of the Nelson Mandela Bay, on precautionary suspension. Mettler was removed from office in November 2018. The National Treasury's chief director for local government analysis has raised concerns over "alleged interference in supply chain management procedures" under Bobani's watch. On 1 November 2018, the United Democratic Movement said that Bobani would submit