The Thabo Mbeki Foundation welcomed the African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee's (NEC's) decision to recall of President Jacob Zuma, saying it was long overdue.

The foundation said in a statement on Tuesday that Zuma should tender his resignation to Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete.

It said the decision to recall Zuma, gives the ANC, as the governing party, the possibility to urgently and immediately attend to the many challenges and negative developments which have arisen during his tenure.

ANC secretary general Ace Magashule and his deputy, Jessie Duarte, delivered Zuma's recall letter to the presidential guesthouse on Tuesday morning.

This came after the party's highest decision-making body, the NEC, decided after a marathon 13-hour meeting, that he should go.

Late on Monday night, Zuma refused to resign during a terse meeting with ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and other top officials at the presidential guesthouse.

Ramaphosa was delegated by the party to inform Zuma of his imminent recall.

The foundation added that Zuma faced the possibility of prosecution for alleged criminal offences.

"It has been obvious for many years that the interests of our country would be best served if indeed Mr Zuma ceased to be president of the republic."