CAPE TOWN - South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma survived a no-confidence motion against him in parliament on Tuesday by garnering 198 votes to the opposition’s 177 votes as African National Congress lawmakers rallied to his support.

There were nine abstentions in the secret ballot.

ANC lawmakers erupted into singing and dancing in parliament even before the speaker of the house announced the result of the vote in favor of the 75-year-old Zuma, who has been dogged by allegations of corruption during his eight years in office.

"The motion of no-confidence is ... negative,” Baleka Mbete, speaker of the 400-member parliament, said.

The rand fell by 1 per cent on the announcement of the outcome.

Agencies