The African National Congress's (ANC's) highest decision-making body, the national executive committee (NEC), will move to suspend former president Jacob Zuma with immediate effect. 

A late-night meeting of the NEC on Sunday saw the body agree that Zuma's membership must be suspended, and that secretary-general Fikile Mbalula must write to him informing him of the suspension. 

According to NEC insiders who spoke to News24 on condition of anonymity, the initial decision was for Zuma's branch in Nkandla to suspend his membership, but it later emerged that the branch was not in good standing. 

Also, the NEC opted not to expel Zuma as an ANC member as that would require longer disciplinary processes. 

"We all know that he will not come to the DC. He will be dilly-dallying, and it will waste time," the insider said. 

They added: 

Jacob Zuma must be suspended. And then also he must be served with the papers to say why shouldn't he be taken to action for violating rule 25.

According to the ANC constitution's rule 25, Zuma's actions since the December announcement that he would not be campaigning or voting for the ANC, are tantamount to a breach of the constitution. 

Zuma would be given 48 hours to respond to the allegations levelled against him, another insider said. This comes after the NEC dragged its feet on the matter, saying that to avoid any distractions, it might deal with Zuma's breach of the ANC constitution after the elections. 

Until recently, the ANC's NEC had been divided on the status of Zuma's membership.

There was also a view within the NEC that Zuma had voluntarily terminated his membership. Even Zuma's closest allies spoke out during the debate, saying that " he has made his bed, and he needs to lay in it".

Another insider said that while there had been initial concerns about the ripple effects of acting against Zuma, all NEC members had agreed that the suspension was a necessary move. 

They said:

We're not really worried about that, because what he promised people that he would do is what he failed to do when he was the president of the ANC for nine years.

"And so what, what difference will it make? And so, we are worried but not that worried because it's the question of indiscipline and so we must take action against him."

Zuma has been campaigning against the ANC since announcing on 16 December that he would not vote or campaign for the ANC. He has also been speaking at well-attended uMkhonto weSizwe Party events in several provinces, but mainly in KwaZulu-Natal. 

The NEC will reconvene on Monday before the ANC national lekgotla in the afternoon.