South Africa’s Jacob Zuma has survived an attempt to oust him as President from within his ruling ANC party, officials have told a news conference.

A meeting of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) over the weekend heard a motion calling for Mr Zuma to be removed from office in the wake of a series of alleged corruption scandals.

There had been speculation in South African media that a vote of no-confidence had taken place and been defeated, as 80 members of the NEC came together for talks over the weekend.

Mr Zuma has been involved in a number of graft investigations since he took office in 2009, and earlier this year a report found “worrying” evidence of illegal influence exerted by the Guptas, a family of businessmen with close ties to the President.

ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa criticised reporting of the weekend's talks, describing them as normal, end of year discussions and saying no formal vote took place.

But Gwede Mantashe, secretary-general of the ANC’s NEC, confirmed that a call for Mr Zuma to go was made, and that it was debated “without suppression”.

Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Show all 14 1 /14 Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Riot police guard the entrance to a courthouse in Pretoria AP Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria A protester holds a butternut squash painted with an image of South African President Jacob Zuma AP Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria South African opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF) supporters shout as they demonstrate for the release of a report into corruption allegations against South African president on front of the High Court in, Pretoria AFP/Getty Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Riot police guard the entrance to a courthouse in Pretoria AP Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria An Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member burning tyres in Pretoria city centre, South Africa EPA Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Protestors looting a shop at a BP garage in Pretoria city centre, South Africa Reuters Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria A protestor runs for cover as police officers fire stun grenades during a march to call for the removal of President Jacob Zuma Reuters Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Police officers stand guard during a march by the members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Reuters Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria A member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) carries a tire around his neck as they call for the removal of President Jacob Zuma outside the Union buildings in Pretoria Reuters Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) hanging on the tree during an anti-government march outside the Union Building in Pretoria AP Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) march during an anti-government protest outside the Union Building in Pretoria AP Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria A metro police officer, runs past a burning barricade during an anti-government march in Pretoria AP Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria A man carries a sledgehammer as South African opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party members and supporters demonstrate in Pretoria AFP/Getty Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Calls for Zuma resignation in Pretoria Economic Freedom Fighters supporters gather by a burning garbage bin as they march in downtown Pretoria AP

“Following robust, honest, candid and at times difficult discussions, the NEC did not support the call for the President to step down,” he said.

“The NEC resolved it was more urgent to direct the energies of the ANC in its entirety to working towards the unity of the movement,” he added.

Mr Mantashe said the NEC believed the issues of “racism, ethnic nationalism and monopoly capital” were greater threats to the country than what he described as “the negative narrative directed towards the President”.

He called for the party to unite behind Mr Zuma. He said the members agreed during the meetings “that we cannot be strong, unless we work together for unity”.

In the run-up to the debate there had been speculation that the ANC would take a no-confidence vote, and some media even carried rough vote “counts” going in Mr Zuma's favour.

“There was no vote of no confidence in that meeting... There was a call for the President to step down, and that call ultimately was not acceded to after persuasion among comrades in the meeting,” Mr Mantashe said.

“The fact that we have not forced a president of the ANC to step down means that we affirm him as the president of the ANC and President of the republic.”

It means the political uncertainty surrounding Mr Zuma’s fate goes on. The 2 November anti-graft report did not detail the extent of alleged government corruption, only that there was “evidence” some took place. It will be many months before a fuller judicial inquiry can be carried out to investigate the matter in detail.

In the meantime, South Africa’s business community had been hoping for decisive action from the ANC. Upon the news coming out that the NEC had backed the President, the rand fell by as much as 2.5 per cent against the dollar and bonds weakened.

Mr Zuma survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament on 10 November, when ANC leaders backed him and MPs as a whole voted 214 - 126 in his favour.