President Jacob Zuma has told parliament that he will release the report of the Farlam commission of inquiry into the Marikana massacre by the end of next month.

Zuma was responding to mounting pressure‚ including a threatened court action by the families of the victims of the incident which saw police shoot dead 34 striking miners.

Zuma said: "I know and appreciate the anxiety of those who are affected. However‚ it would be inappropriate for me to just release the report without applying my mind sufficiently. The report will be released before the end of next month".

Zuma said he wanted to thank Judge Ian Farlam‚ the commission and its witnesses.

"Subsequent to the delivery of the report‚ I have also received a briefing from Judge Ian Farlam.

"I established the Commission because I felt our country needed to know what had happened in Marikana‚ where more than 40 people lost their lives."