The Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete on Thursday confirmed that she had received a letter from President Jacob Zuma informing her of his resignation as the President of the Republic of South Africa. 

The former statesman’s letter will be officially published in Parliament’s Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports journal for the attention of Members of Parliament.

The resignation of Jacob Zuma has been widely accepted by many South Africans and opposition parties who felt that his tenure had been marred by acts of corruption and State capture. 

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is expected to preside over the National Assembly’s election as State President of the leader of the African National Congress Cyril Ramaphosa, today at 14:00, which has been scheduled in place of the now moribund motion of no confidence which had been set to take place should Zuma not have resigned.      

The Speaker thanked Zuma for “his service to the people of South Africa in the last eight years and wishes him well”.
 
A joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces is expected to take place tomorrow at 19:00 where a new President will deliver the 2018 State of the Nation Address (Sona), followed by the debate of Sona on Monday.