He had a "warm and positive" hour-long meeting with Zuma in Pretoria on Wednesday, Tutu said in a statement, describing the talks as a "fence-mending exercise".

"The people of South Africa overwhelmingly supported a particular party in recent democratic elections...," said Tutu.

"This party and its president should be given the chance to prove their mettle in government."

While acknowledging that he had, on occasion, been critical of the ruling party and the government, Tutu said: "I am guided only by my love for, and loyalty toward, the country of my birth."

He saw it as positive that, despite his "critical voice", Zuma had been keen to meet him. "This openness can only augur well for our country," he said.

"It is in the African style of leadership, and I commend him for it."

Tutu said they discussed a variety of issues, including "the lawlessness and destruction of property by organised workers".

He said this kind of action had become a "national disease".

Tutu said they agreed that all South Africans had a lot of work to do. They also agreed to "keep talking".

In the last two years, Tutu has generated controversy with his political comments.

At one stage, he said he would not vote in the 2009 elections unless the ruling ANC healed its divisions.

When he did cast his vote, he said he had done "a lot of heart-searching" this time around and that "it was not like the previous elections".

He also said that although ANC leader Jacob Zuma was a warm and friendly man, he was not the ideal president.

When the National Prosecuting Authority's dropped corruption charges against Zuma, Tutu said Zuma should have faced the charges in court, so that there would not be a question mark over him.