South African President Jacob Zuma's removal as head of State is not on the agenda of a meeting of top officials from the ruling African National Congress (ANC), the party's Secretary-General Ace Magashule said on Thursday in televised remarks.

There is widespread speculation that Zuma's opponents in the ANC's newly elected 80-member national executive committee will make a fresh push during four days of meetings which begin on Thursday to replace him with new party leader Cyril Ramaphosa.