The Democratic Alliance (DA) does not want to end the coalition agreement with the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) after councillor Mongameli Bobani was ousted as deputy mayor.

"But we simply will not work with one individual whose personal conduct is at odds with our agreement and commitment to zero tolerance of corruption," DA federal council chairperson James Selfe said in a statement on Monday.

"The DA cannot and will not be indecisive in dealing with those who put their own interest above those of the residents of NMB."

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa had threatened to withdraw from the agreement unless Bobani was reinstated or DA mayor Athol Trollip replaced. He said the party would challenge the decision in court.

This would force the DA to produce evidence of Bobani’s alleged corruption, Holomisa said over the weekend in an email to the NMB’s coalition partners and the Economic Freedom Fighters.

Bobani was voted out in a motion of no confidence on last Thursday.

Selfe claimed Bobani was voting with the African National Congress to "slow down service delivery". He called on Holomisa to nominate a new UDM councillor to replace Bobani.

"When we say we have a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to corruption, we mean it, and we cannot have someone in our government who is ambivalent about corruption," Selfe said.

The DA leads a multiparty coalition governing the metro with the African Christian Democratic Party, the Freedom Front Plus, Congress of the People and the UDM.

The Patriotic Alliance (PA), which has one seat in the council, recently signed a co-governance agreement with the DA.

PA councillor Marlon Daniels brought the motion to remove Bobani.