He had been suspended by the ANC in January after creating MK, which now sits in opposition to the ANC-led government in parliament.

In a statement, MK said it was shocked to learn from media reports that Mr Zuma had been expelled.

The disciplinary proceedings were conducted "in a manner akin to a kangaroo court", the party said.

"It is a foundational legal principle that no person, not even those accused of a serious crime, should be punished or sentenced in their absence," it added.

The ANC's disciplinary committee held a virtual hearing, which Mr Zuma refused to attend, saying he wanted to be physically present.

In 2021 he was jailed for contempt of court after refusing to fully co-operate with an inquiry into corruption during his nine-year presidency.

His arrest sparked the deadliest riots since the end of white-minority rule in 1994 and led to the deaths of more than 300 people.

And he now faces corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal.

South Africa's current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, replaced Zuma in 2018, promising to clean up government.

But in the 29 May elections, the ANC suffered its worst result in 30 years, pushing the ruling party to form a coalition to share power.

uMkhonto we Sizwe - meaning "spear of the nation" - became the country’s third-largest party, largely by taking votes from the ANC.

It won almost 15% of the vote and obtained 58 seats in the 400-member parliament.

MK became the official opposition in parliament after the second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), joined the coalition government.

Mr Zuma is barred from being an MP because he was given a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

He has chosen an ex-judge, who was impeached for gross misconduct, to lead MK in parliament.