This comes just days before the National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete, will make an announcement whether or not the impending vote of no confidence - which is set to take place on 8 August - will be a secret ballot.

She said in some cases provincial structures have been asked to take a firm action against ANC MPs who have been very outspoken in the media.

Duarte was addressing members of the Mangaung region at a regional post policy conference briefing in Bloemfontein on Wednesday. She said they have spoken about the ANC Caucus at the National Assembly in this regard.

“We made it very clear that the ANC Caucus is not an organisation independent of the African National Congress and therefore Caucus cannot make decisions that we have not made at a conference or an NEC level. The principle point is that the African National Congress, even at its national policy conference did not come with a resolution to say our president must step down.

"And therefore no matter what individuals might think and feel they have no mandate from the branches to make a decision that goes against the body of the ANC,” she added.

ANC MP, Makhosi Khoza, is one of those MPs that have been very vocal in criticising Zuma and has on several occasions asked him to step aside. Khoza added her voice to the call for a secret ballot and has said that MPs should vote with their conscience.

Duarte said the question of a vote of conscience does not arise in a political organisation.

“The EFF in their constitution says that they will expel any member of the EFF that has a secret ballot and votes against the EFF. The DA has the same clause almost to the letter in their own constitution. 

"It is unthinkable that an ANC comrade will get up on the morning of the 8th and deliberately go against what the branches have asked us to do, which is they elected a president twice and therefore that president remains the president until the branches decide differently,” she explained.

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