What led up to Zuma's resignation? A meeting of the ANC's National Executive Committee had announced its decision to recall Mr Zuma on Tuesday and gave him until the end of Wednesday to resign. ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu then announced a parliamentary motion of no-confidence for Thursday, with Mr Ramaphosa sworn in as president as soon as possible after that. Mr Zuma's resignation capped a day of fast-moving events. It began with early morning police raids and arrests at the Johannesburg home of his close associates, the wealthy, Indian-born Gupta family. The Gupta family's walled compound in Johannesburg was sealed off during the police raid
Verified fraudster
The Guptas have been accused of using their close friendship with the president to wield enormous political influence. Both parties deny all allegations of wrongdoing. The Guptas and their links to Zuma Mr Zuma made no reference to the raid when he held a lengthy, unannounced, interview with national broadcaster SABC hours later. But he said he had done nothing wrong and saw no reason to stand down.
Jacob Zuma's life in seven key dates
April 1942: Born into poverty in northern KwaZulu-Natal, he is raised by his widowed mother and receives no formal schooling
1959: Joins the ANC. He becomes an active member of its military wing in 1962
August 1963: Aged 21, he is convicted of conspiring to overthrow the apartheid government and imprisoned on Robben Island, alongside Nelson Mandela, for 10 years
March 1990: After a period in exile, he returns to South Africa when a ban on the ANC is lifted - he is elected to chair the party four years later
June 1999: Five years after apartheid ends, he becomes deputy president of South Africa - he loses the position in 2005 after being implicated in a fraud trial
April 2009: Two weeks after corruption charges are dropped, Mr Zuma becomes president of South Africa
October 2017: The Supreme Court of Appeal rules he must face 18 counts of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering
