Next week's planned motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma is a futile exercise, former African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Mathole Motshekga says.

The African National Congress National Executive Committee member said on Tuesday that the ruling party's MPs would never support opposition plans to remove Zuma from office.

He said it was a waste of taxpayers' money, as MPs would have to be flown to Cape Town during recess to debate the motion and vote. He said the ANC would use its majority to defeat it.

"Those who bring the motion and fight the motion are not taking the people seriously. If we take people seriously, we must say, what are the matters that society is putting on agenda and say as ANC, we will consider those matters without fear or favour," Motshekga said.

He said the motions were eroding the party's credibility in the eyes of the public. He said Parliament was not the correct forum to push for Zuma to step down.

Motshekga agreed with newly-appointed Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba that South Africa was polarised. An ANC-led South Africa was divided - over the president.

"In short, it is not motions of no confidence that will arrest the deepening crisis, it is the intervention of the ANC," Motshekga said.