Jacob Zuma resigns as South Africa's president

desmond frimpong

February 14, 2018 9:28 PM

South Africa's embattled President Jacob Zuma has resigned his office with immediate effect.

South Africas embattled and controversial president Jacob Zuma, has announced his resignation in a televised address to the nation.

"The ANC should never be divided in my name. I have therefore come to the decision to resign," Zuma said on Wednesday evening in Pretoria.

His resignation followed weeks of intense public pressure to step down amid longstanding corruption allegations.

Jacob Zuma of South Africa resigns

Zuma was addressing the nation following a dramatic day in which his party said it would support an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) sponsored motion of no confidence that was set to take place on Thursday.

This would have been the first time the ANC would have supported a motion of no confidence against Zuma.

The party had finally resolved in a special national executive committee meeting on Monday that Zuma should be recalled as state president. The ANC had given him until Wednesday to resign.

Prior to Zuma's resignation, he explained to SABC that his party’s leadership had not furnished him with reasons of what he had done wrong and therefore described the call to resign as victimisation.

desmond frimpong