South Africa ruling party, the ANC has announced that a vote of no-confidence will be called upon to remove President Jacob Zuma on Thursday. The ANC backed the opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters' led motion hours after armed police raided the luxury home of his friends the Gupta brothers.

The ANC's chief whip Jackson Mthembu, said a new president, expected to be Zuma's deputy Cyril Ramaphosa, would be sworn in latest Friday. "After we have voted for the removal of the President of the Republic tomorrow - and depending on the availability of the Chief Justice - we will also elect a new president," Mthembu told reporters in Cape Town.

The party had on Tuesday asked Zuma to step down as Head of State, to which the President has not responded to. Meanwhile, at Pretoria's Union Buildings, the official seat of government, there are rumblings of plans for Zuma to address the country.

The Secretary-General of South Africa's ANC, Ace Magashule, said Zuma did not threaten to challenge his removal by the party in court, as reported by several local media. "President Jacob Zuma has behaved like a leader of the ANC. He has never threatened us with any court action, not at all. He did in fact confirm that he would respond by tomorrow(Wednesday)."