South African President resigns amid corruption claims

Cape Town [South Africa], Feb 15 (ANI): In an address to South Africa, President Jacob Zuma has announced his resignation ahead of Thursday's no-confidence votes.

"I have therefore come to the decision to resign as president of the republic with immediate effect even though I disagree with the decision of the leadership of my organisation ... I have always been a disciplined member of the organisation," local media quoted Zuma as saying.

Zuma further noted that he was not afraid to leave office as he did not fear the no-confidence motion.

"I fear no motion of no confidence or impeachment for they are the lawful mechanisms for the people of this beautiful country to remove their president," he said.

The scandal-hit South African leader, who faces more than 780 allegations of corruption relating to a 1990s arms deal, was formally asked to step down on Tuesday.

Earlier, country's ruling African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Jackson Mthembu had underscored that the party would back an opposition move to censure Zuma in the Parliament in Cape Town on Thursday and hoped a new president could be sworn-in on the same day.

Zuma, in an unannounced live TV interview, had called the efforts to oust him "very unfair".

"Nobody has ever provided the reasons. Nobody is saying what I have done," he had said.

Zuma, had led the ANC since 2007 and has been South Africa's president since 2009.

The South African media have been calling President Zuma's inevitable exit as "Zexit".

Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa now assumes the country's presidency, as per local media. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI