South Africa's Zuma to release 'Marikana massacre' report on Thursday

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's President Jacob Zuma will on Thursday release a report into the 2012 shooting of 34 striking miners by police at Lonmin's Marikana mine, the most deadly security incident since the end of apartheid 20 years ago. Zuma will address the nation at 1700 GMT on the state broadcaster and present the findings of a commission set up to investigate the shootings, the presidency said in a statement. The report will then be released on the presidency's website. The incident shocked the world and Zuma's government came under pressure for the deadly force used by police to quell the strike. The "Marikana massacre" sparked intense public and media criticism toward the police, mining companies, unions, the ruling African National Congress and Zuma. Zuma on Tuesday defended the actions of police who shot dead the striking workers. Speaking earlier this week, Zuma said: "Those people in Marikana had killed people and the police were stopping them from killing people." Zuma received the results in March of a nearly three-year inquiry by retired judge Ian Farlam. Apart from investigating the shootings, the Farlam commission had a broader remit to look into labour relations, pay and accommodation in South Africa's mines - issues seen as behind the strike that preceded the police shootings. (Reporting by Peroshni Govender; Editing by James Macharia)