Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader Pieter Mulder on Thursday accused President Jacob Zuma of being out of touch with the feelings of minorities.

He was commenting on Zuma's reply to statements made during debate on the Presidency budget vote in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

During the debate, Mulder said that many South Africans were uncertain about the future of the country.

He referred specifically to events during the past few months surrounding African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema.

Responding, Zuma said that South Africans were optimistic about the country.

Despite the challenges, they remained hopeful that things would get better each day simply because they knew there were programmes in place, and that work was continuing to change their lives.

"It is our responsibility as leaders to nurture that hope and work together to create a positive climate in which people can work together, and in which our country can succeed and thrive.

"It is our responsibility too as leaders to defuse tensions and correct wrong perceptions where they occur.

"We must all make all our people comfortable and secure and not seek to make one section of society insecure, for example by exaggerating fears of the minority community.

"We want to believe that we passed that era during the 1990s. We now have structures and platforms to work together to discuss such issues without whipping up emotions," Zuma said.

In a statement later on Thursday, Mulder said that Zuma was out of touch with the feelings of minorities and many other South Africans when he said it was not true that South Africans were uncertain about the future.

"It is the work of the FF Plus and opposition parties to keep the government on its toes and to see to it that the feelings and views of all voters are brought to the attention of the government," he said. "That is what I did yesterday in the debate. If the ANC does not like it, it will not help to ignore the facts.

"The uncertainty among Afrikaners and other minorities is a result of irresponsible statements by some ANC leaders and has nothing to do with a reverting back to a separated past based upon racism or hate.

"Minorities are ready to make a positive contribution but are tired of being blamed for everything," Mulder said.