The SACP on Wednesday came to the defence of its first deputy secretary, Solly Mapaila, saying he acted on the party's instruction to lobby "South Africans from all walks of life" to remove former president Jacob Zuma.

The party did not respond directly to Julius Malema's claim that Mapaila plotted with the EFF to remove Zuma. It said the campaign was a "principled programme" and "strongly condemns any suggestion that it was either a conspiracy or a hidden conspiracy".

This comes after Malema and his deputy Floyd Shivambu claimed that Mapaila was among tripartite alliance leaders, including ANC national executive committee member Derek Hanekom, who plotted with the red berets to topple Zuma.

The SACP said it was public information that they wanted Zuma removed either by being forced to resign or through a vote of no confidence in parliament.

"It is public knowledge that the SACP adopted a decision openly calling on former president Jacob Zuma to resign, or be recalled if he did not resign, and finally to be removed from office through a motion of no confidence if he still did not resign after being recalled," said SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo.

"To this end the SACP, with its first deputy general secretary Cde Solly Mapaila assigned to lead the implementation on a full-time basis, openly campaigned, calling on all South Africans from all walks of life to unite and rally behind the decision."

However, it appears that the SACP chose to respond to the last attempt to remove Zuma via parliament which he resigned before it could be implemented when the EFF was referring to the one before it.

Tweeted Shivambu: "The motion which Derek Hanekom, Solly Mapaila & others plotted against Jacob Zuma on is the 2017 secret ballot Motion tabled by the DA & the ANC Caucus had resolved to defend Zuma. The February 2018 EFF Motion was a foregone conclusion and forced Zuma's resignation!"