This is according to opposition parties who are currently in the marathon council meeting, still in session. All parties are now awaiting a formal announcement by the Speaker of the Metro Municipality, Mxolosi Siyonzana, that Mlamleli has finally been ousted after three attempts of the opposition to remove her from office.

The DA's Mokgadi Kganakga tells OFM News that 31 councillors voted for her removal while 28 opposed it, and 8 spoiled their votes. She says Mlamleli was voted out through a secret ballot after Siyonzana accepted the bid to vote via secret ballot.

The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) proposed the motion against Mlamleli, who previously survived at least two such motions after the DA's motion of no confidence failed in early February. The mayoral spokesperson Qondile Khedama, however, tells OFM News that they are still waiting for the results to be announced.

In February 2020, Mlamleli survived a second motion of no confidence again after the African National Congress (ANC) councillors, the Democratic Alliance (DA) councillors, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) voted on the motion. The ANC councillors voted against the motion, while the DA, EFF and FF+ councillors voted for the removal of Mlamleli. Two councillors abstained.

Kganakga had brought forward the motion after the Metro was placed under administration and had wanted a secret ballot.

She previously told OFM News that the motion followed after a series of challenges the troubled municipality had been experiencing under the leadership of Mlamleli.

Kganakga added that the financial crisis went from bad to worse since the appointment of Mlamleli, with the total debt to various service providers increasing to R6.5 billion.

 OFM News