The presidency on Thursday disputed reports that President Jacob Zuma skipped the scene of the Marikana shooting when visiting mineworkers.

“The president, before meeting the workers and hearing their side of the story... stopped at the scene to see where the shootings happened,” said spokesman Mac Maharaj.

Zuma then went to speak to the workers to obtain a first-hand account of what happened.

Zuma visited Wonderkop on Wednesday afternoon to listen to striking workers at Lonmin’s Marikana mine, North West.

Hundreds of mineworkers converged on top of the hill around 2.30pm on Wednesday, expecting Zuma to visit the scene of the shooting. His convoy drove past and did not stop, a Sapa journalist on the scene reported.  

Police opened fire on miners who converged on the hilltop last Thursday. At least 34 people were killed and 78 wounded. In the week leading up to the shooting, 10 people — including two police officers and two security guards — were killed.