No African National Congress (ANC) MPs will vote with opposition parties and impeach President Jacob Zuma in Parliament, said ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.

“That would be uncharacteristic of the ANC really. We have a party political system…there will be no such a thing as motion of no confidence in the president. There will be no ANC member who will vote for a motion from the opposition…no self respecting army would allow to be commanded by the enemy,” Mantashe said.

This came as opposition parties, civic society and ANC veterans, its alliance partners Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and South African Communist Party called for Zuma to resign.

The leaders of the opposition parties said they would do everything to have Zuma removed from office. This included mass mobilisation and protests, court actions and a motion of no confidence tabled by the Democratic Alliance (DA) Parliament. The opposition parties said ANC MPs should introspect “and choose Zuma and the Guptas or the people”.

Last week, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said that his party would support the motion of no confidence against Zuma, and that the EFF had the support of some of the ANC top leaders.

He added that work was underway to woe ANC MPs who would be approached individually, in a collaborative effort along with the opposition parties to sway the vote against Zuma.