"Our society is very angry. When people quarrel, they kill one another. Taking the life of a human being has become very simple," he said at an interfaith dialogue in Cape Town.

He said people also demonstrated their anger by burning community halls, libraries and other public property.

"That is an anger which is abnormal. It needs collective leadership."

Zuma acknowledged that a "horrific past" had caused much unresolved pain.

"There was never enough time to cry or mourn in 1994, as we had to start working immediately to build a new country. Also, the message, correctly then, was for people to move on."

He called on citizens to complete the healing process by channelling their anger towards solutions.

"The task to remove anger, violence, crime and immorality is in the hands of all of us."

The government's "potent" tool to resolving conflict remained constructive dialogue with various sectors of society.

It also relied on the work of many religious leaders to instil morals and values.

Zuma called on religious leaders to pray for government.

"You are charged by God to do so," he said.

The president was welcomed at the Good Hope Centre on Tuesday by hundreds of singing members from different faiths and backgrounds, including Christianity, Islam, Rasta and the Khoisan.

Politics was not left out of the event, and political songs praising Zuma and the African National Congress echoed the centre.

Many called for Zuma to serve a second term.