The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday said that while it noted the decision by the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) National Executive Committee (NEC) to recall Jacob Zuma the decision was an internal ANC resolution, and nothing more.

This comes after Zuma refused to resign during a meeting with ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and other top officials at the presidential guesthouse late on Monday night.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane said that the recall had no effect on Zuma’s status as President of the Republic, and that it could simply be ignored by Zuma.

“Unless he tenders his resignation, this recall is not worth the paper it is printed on. The only way to remove Zuma as President of our country is for Parliament to do so through a Motion of No Confidence. It is Parliament that elects and removes a President, not the ANC,” stated Maimane.

ANC secretary general Ace Magashule and deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte delivered Zuma’s recall letter to the presidential guesthouse on Tuesday morning after the NEC, decided after a marathon meeting, that he should go.

Maimane went on to say that the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF’s) Motion of No Confidence, which was provisionally scheduled for 22 February, must be treated as a priority and brought forward to within this week, so that Parliament could remove Zuma.

Opposition Parties on Monday during their joint briefing also called for the dissolution of Parliament, which would herald early national elections.

In a joint statement, made after leaders of opposition parties met on Monday, Maimane said that the group - which consists of the EFF, DA, the Congress of the People, the United Democratic Movement and other smaller parties - would not fight in the factional battles of the ANC.