JOHANNESBURG — Leaders of South Africa’s governing party ordered President Jacob Zuma to step down on Tuesday, saying that his continued presence was eroding the “renewed hope’’ felt since the election of new party leaders in December.

Ace Magashule, secretary-general of the African National Congress, said the party had not given Zuma a deadline to respond, but added that he was certain the president would deliver a reply the next day. “Let’s leave it to President Jacob Zuma,’’ Magashule said.

The confrontation heightened a power struggle in the party that has governed South Africa since apartheid ended and has become less known for its heroic past than for corruption and mismanagement. The power struggle has paralyzed South Africa, which has the continent’s largest economy.

In what appeared to be a turning point, the ANC for the first time moved decisively against the leader it had shielded for nine years against a series of accusations of misconduct. But party leaders said Zuma was being dismissed because he’s harming the ANC’s prospects — not because of the ethical issues surrounding him.

“President Zuma has not been found guilty by any court of law,’’ Magashule said. “And when we took these decisions, we did not take these decisions because Comrade Jacob Zuma has done anything wrong.’’

Negotiations over Zuma’s future have cast a pall over the optimism that followed Cyril Ramaphosa’s election in December to succeed him as leader of the ANC, and his pledge to steer South Africa on a new course. Although Ramaphosa, deputy president since 2014, has a mixed record in both politics and business, he has spoken forcefully against corruption and is allied with ANC officials with reputations as reformers.

Party leaders did not address how they would respond if Zuma did not step down, but the ANC would almost certainly have to remove him through a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

But a no-confidence vote would bring fresh attention to widespread corruption in the ANC and expose the governing party to charges of hypocrisy. It has used its dominance in Parliament to quash eight previous opposition-led motions of no confidence.