South Africa's scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma has survived an attempt to oust him in the country's National Assembly.

A motion of no-confidence in Zuma was defeated by 198 votes to 177. Even though the ballot was held in secret, the opposition was not able to persuade enough members of Zuma's ruling African National Congress to side with them.

Members of the ANC sang in celebration even before the result was formally announced. As head of the party that led South Africa out of apartheid, Zuma won the presidential election in 2009 and 2014, but has been dogged by criminal investigations and corruption allegations. Dubbed the "Teflon" president, he has survived has faced seven previous no-confidence votes. The latest vote was organized by the opposition Democratic Alliance party. "The choice before us is a simple one. Either we allow one family, aided and abetted by the President to take everything from us or on behalf of the people of South Africa we take our country back," opposition leader Mmusi Maimane said in an emotional speech that opened the debate on the motion Tuesday. Doris Dlakude, Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC in the National Assembly, had urged her members to support Zuma. "This debate is about our integrity as the governing party," she said. She claimed the motion of no confidence was the work of an "insurrectionist opposition" whose main aim was to "sow seeds of chaos in society to ultimately grab power."