A BBC correspondent in South Africa tweets:

On that note, we're ending our live coverage on the showdown in South Africa between Mr Zuma and the governing ANC.

We'll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, keep following developments by clicking on the BBC News website.

And enjoy this cartoon of the "Zexit" - as Mr Zuma's departure has been dubbed - that has not yet happened:

Image source, AFP

South Africa's parliament has confirmed that tomorrow's no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma will be by open ballot.

This is the first time the governing ANC plans to remove a president through a no-confidence vote.

It refused to back previous bids by the opposition to oust Mr Zuma, but the party turned on him after ex-business tycoon Cyril Ramaphosa was elected ANC leader in December, replacing the president.

Mr Zuma has been described by his critics as the worst president South Africa has had since the ANC swept to power at the end of white minority white rule in 1994.

South African journalists are getting impatient as they wait to hear from President Jacob Zuma for the second time today.

He spoke on TV earlier today, and promised to issue a statement later in the day in response to his party's call that he should step down:

A journalist for national broadcaster SABC tweets that the five people arrested by South Africa's anti-corruption police today over the controversial relationship between the wealthy Gupta family and the government are on their way to court:

An MP of South Africa's governing ANC has described President Jacob Zuma as "deranged‚ psychotic‚ insane‚ of unsound mind or just foolish", the local Times Live news site reports. , external

Philly Mapulane, the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on environmental affairs‚ tweeted his views, it reports.

Andrew Harding
BBC News, Johannesburg

Image source, Reuters

An indignant Jacob Zuma went on national television to argue his case.

“What have I done,” he asked, in a wounded tone. “What is the rush?”

The president insisted he’d committed no crimes - that the many allegations of corruption against him were unproved.

And he said there was no reason for his party, the ANC, to remove him from office early, months before next year’s national elections. He said the decision to demand his immediate resignation was irrational, and unfair.

Mr Zuma said he’d proposed a smooth, delayed exit, giving him and the country a transition period to avoid tensions in the party, country, and beyond. It was important for instance to reassure other African states that he was not being “elbowed out.”

But the ANC has now rejected that proposal. So what next? Mr Zuma said he would not defy his party, but he would not cooperate with a decision he rejects.

He said he’d make a full statement later in the day.

A South African journalist has tweeted a clause of the constitution, spelling out what happens during a no-confidence vote in the president - and he has a question of his own:

The BBC's Lerato Mbele tweets that Jacob Zuma's resignation saga has been testing South Africa's pillars of democracy:

Image source, AFP

South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) says its leader, Cyril Rampahosa, will be sworn in as president on Friday, if the chief justice is available.

Later in the day, he will deliver the state of the nation address which President Jacob Zuma was forced to postpone earlier this month, it said in a statement.

The party has also said that if Mr Zuma fails to resign today, parliament will pass a no-confidence vote in him tomorrow.

Read: Ramaphosa - South African unionist to boss

Image source, Reuters

Here's a brief look at the scandals that have dogged President Jacob Zuma:

• 2005: Charged with corruption over multi-billion dollar 1999 arms deal - charges dropped shortly before he becomes president in 2009
• 2016: Court orders he should be charged with 18 counts of corruption over the deal
• 2016: Court rules he breached his oath of office by using government money to upgrade private home in Nkandla - he has repaid the money
• 2017: South Africa's public protector said he should appoint judge-led inquiry into allegations he profiteered from relationship with wealthy Gupta family - he denies allegations, as have the Guptas
• 2018: Zuma approves inquiry

One recurrent theme from tweeters discussing South African President Jacob Zuma's fate is this: how his defiance compares with that of Thabo Mbeki, who stepped down as president when the ANC, then led by Mr Zuma, ordered him to do so:

But we don't have to imagine how Mr Mbeki reacted, as the BBC's Nomsa Maseko has dug out Mr Mbeki's resignation video from almost ten years ago:

As South Africans await President Jacob Zuma's response to calls for his resignation, the memes have been trickling through on Twitter.

Here are a few:

South African national broadcaster SABC's presidential correspondent has tweeted the time President Jacob Zuma is expected to make a statement:

19:00 in South Africa is 17:00GMT.

South Africa's ruling ANC party chief whip Jackson Mthembu has told Reuters news agency that the party wants the reading of the budget to go ahead as scheduled next Wednesday.

That's despite the political uncertainty right now, as the country waits to see if President Jacob Zuma steps down after his party asked him to.

A stalwart of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) has warned party MPs not to rebel against the motion of no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma, a local radio station has tweeted:

South Africa's opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has welcomed parliament's decision to debate its no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma tomorrow.

Image source, AFP

In a statement, external, it called for all parties "to rise and unite" behind this motion to remove Mr Zuma from power.

The EFF also welcomed the fact that the vote will be by open ballot.

"Now that it is the decision of all parties that Zuma must be removed from office, it is no longer necessary for the motion to be conducted in secret," it said.

In the latest flurry of political activity in South Africa, ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa has apparently arrived at the home of President Jacob Zuma, a journalist has tweeted:

The reported visit comes after Mr Zuma defied the ANC by refusing to hand power to Mr Ramaphosa, who is currently the deputy president.

He was elected ANC leader in December, replacing the scandal-hit Mr Zuma.

South Africa's main opposition leader, Mmusi Maimane, has called for a mass protest tomorrow to demand President Jacob Zuma's removal from power.

He has tweeted:

The governing ANC and opposition parties are expected to unite in parliament tomorrow to pass a no-confidence vote in Mr Zuma.

Image source, AFP

South Africa's ruling party has released a statement following President Jacob Zuma's refusal to heed its instruction to resign.

And what does the statement say? The ANC is awaiting the statement promised by Mr Zuma on live TV.

Read on:

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has shown the "middle finger" to his party, the governing African National Congress (ANC).

That's the view expressed by opposition MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, in an interview with privately owned eNCA TV.

A journalist has tweeted her comments: