He was responding to a question during a visit to a university in Pretoria, in reaction to the publication of a report on the most deadly security incident since the end of apartheid.
Zuma said the protesters had killed some people, adding that the police were stopping them from killing more people.
An official said on condition of anonymity that Zuma received the results of the nearly three-year inquiry by retired judge Ian Farlam.
He said the commission, as well as investigating the shootings, had a broader permission to look into labour relations, pay and accommodation in South Africa’s mines.
He said 10 other people were killed in violence relating to the strike, including two police officers who were hacked to death.
The shootings sparked intense public and media criticism towards the police, mining companies, unions, the ruling African National Congress and Zuma.
