President Jacob Zuma would like Jesus to return to earth to cleanse everybody's sins, Beeld reported on Monday.

A visibly tired Zuma shared his spiritual side at a meeting with ambassadors and commissioners in Pretoria on Sunday -- a meeting for which he cut short his Russian trip by a day.

He spoke off-speech for over an hour, with topics including that he is a Christian.

He said: "I know they say Jesus will return to fetch us. But I don't know how many will stay behind. Maybe the majority," he said to laughter.

He said bishops and pastors were in a position to ask God to send his son again.

"But this time not to fetch us, but just to come and cleanse us of our sins, because we have caused more damage than before.

"He must just come for a few years to help us so that we are ready for when he finally comes."

He made no mention of the Nkandla controversy nor the "spy tapes" ruling.