Jacob Zuma has officially resigned as president of South Africa. Addressing the nation on Wednesday evening, Zuma said while he felt compelled to resign, he remains committed to, and will continue to serve the governing African National Congress. His resignation comes after the ANC's National Executive Committee affirmed its decision to recall him from office. Yolisa Njamela has more.

Former president Jacob Zuma stepped down just over a year shy of completing his term of office. His resignation follows mounting pressure from internal structures of his own party, the ruling ANC. Calls had also been mounting from various quarters, including civil society, and opposition parties, for Zuma to go. Zuma, however, maintains the ANC's decision to recall him is unfair as he has done nothing.

JACOB ZUMA FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT "I have therefore come to the decision to resign as president of the Republic with immediate effect. Even though I disagree with the decision of the leadership of my organization. I have always been a disciplined member of the ANC. I have and will continue to serve the ANC, the organization I've said all of my life in it. I understand fully that while I serve at the pleasure of the party, the ANC, the door through which I came is the National Assembly without which no political party can impose its people to the electorate."

The announcement came despite his initial refusal to resign, even in the face of a no-confidence vote supported by his own party. The party had threatened that it would vote him out in a vote of no confidence in Parliament later on Thursday if he does not resign.

JACOB ZUMA FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT "I fear no motion of no confidence or impeachment. They are the lawful mechanisms for the people of this beautiful country to remove their president. I've served the people of South Africa to the best of my ability. I am forever grateful that they trusted me with their highest office in the land, but when I accepted the deployment I understood and undertook to subject myself to the supreme law of the land, the Constitution."

Zuma ascended to the South African presidency after the 2009 general elections. He was meant to stay on until the 2019 general election. Zuma says he does not fear exiting the political office. He emphasized that he only asked his party to articulate transgressions and the reasons for its instruction that he vacate office.

YOLISA NJAMELA PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA "Zuma's resignation brings to an end a presidential tenure that was marred with scandals, controversy and corruption allegations."

He's consistently denied all those allegations. The ANC welcomed Zuma's decision to go. The party says it provides certainty to the people of South Africa at a time when economic and social challenges to the country require an urgent and resolute response.

According to the South African Constitution, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa now acts as president until parliament convenes to elect a new president. Yolisa Njamela, CGTN, Pretoria, South Africa.