South Africa's Parliament has descended into chaos, with opposition MPs denouncing President Jacob Zuma as a "scoundrel" and "rotten to the core" because of corruption allegations and then brawling with guards who dragged them out of the chamber.

The raucous scenes unfolded on national television as opposition members tried to stop Mr Zuma from addressing the chamber, repeatedly insulting the President and declaring him unfit for office.

In the surrounding streets of Cape Town, police and hundreds of military forces patrolled to guard against protesters who want Mr Zuma to quit.

Security teams eventually were called into the chamber to remove red-clad members of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters, some of whom threw punches and pounded guards with plastic helmets.

MPs from the Democratic Alliance, the country's biggest opposition group, then walked out in protest.

A politically weakened figure, Mr Zuma has faced calls to resign even from factions of the ruling party.

Some ANC members blame Mr Zuma's scandals for the party's poor performance in local elections in August, in which it lost control of several key metropolitan areas.

Critics condemned an announcement by Mr Zuma's office that 441 members of the military would assist police in maintaining order during the speech and the opening of Parliament.

The military has previously deployed for the event, but the security operation was among the largest in recent years.

Mr Zuma has been under scrutiny for an allegedly improper relationship with the Guptas, a business family of Indian immigrants that has been accused of meddling in top government appointments.

The President has denied wrongdoing.

The President's speech addressed numerous sources of frustration for many South Africans, including the delivery of basic services and an economy that has stalled.

He said he expects 1.3 per cent growth in 2017, after just 0.5 per cent last year.

(ABC)