Rival members of South Africa's ruling ANC clashed on Monday as the party's top officials met to decide the fate of embattled president Jacob Zuma.

Demonstrators shouting slogans for and against Mr Zuma hurled bricks and attacked passing vehicles outside the African National Congress’s Johannesburg headquarters.

Mr Zuma, whose tenure has been engulfed by corruption scandals, is due to deliver the annual state of the nation address on Thursday, despite calls for him to step down amid a growing political crisis.

The party announced it will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday of its decision making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), in a move that could force the 75-year-old from office after he reportedly refused to resign.

Many members of the party want Mr Zuma to resign immediately, to be replaced by his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa, while the president's supporters are calling for him to remain in office until his term expires next year.