South African miners to be released

• NEW: Miners to be conditionally released from jail on Monday and Tuesday
• NEW: Any charges relating to shooting will be made when investigations are complete
• 270 miners were charged with murder of 34 co-workers believed shot by police
• Their lawyers demanded the president release the miners by Sunday afternoon

(CNN) -- The charges against 270 South African miners accused in the deaths of their colleagues -- who most believe were shot by police -- will be dropped, the country's top prosecutor announced Sunday.

Any charges connected to the August 16 clashes will be made only after "all investigations have been completed," Nomgcobo Jiba said.

The accused miners will be conditionally released from jail in a two-step process: Those with verified addresses will appear in court Monday and immediately be released; the rest will appear Tuesday.

Earlier, South Africa's president rejected a Sunday ultimatum to release the miners charged in the deaths of 34 workers.

Lawyers representing the miners demanded that President Jacob Zuma release them by 1 p.m. (7 a.m. ET) or they would ask the high court to intervene.

"The president cannot accede to the demand," his office said in a statement.

Zuma set up a commission of inquiry last month, and will not interfere in the process "in deference to our constitutional democracy," it said.

He said he would not intervene in the work of the commission and other processes that involve the prosecution of suspects in the tragedy.

In the letter to Zuma, the attorneys said the government's decision to charge the miners with murder is "bizarre in the extreme."

South Africa's justice minister also sought an explanation on why the other miners were charged with murder.

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The government's decision "has induced a sense of shock, panic and confusion within the members of the community and the general South African public," Justice Minister Jeffrey Radebe said in a statement.

"It is therefore incumbent upon me to seek clarity on the basis upon which such a decision is taken in my capacity as minister of justice."

The justice minister said "it is inconceivable" to suspect that the miners killed their colleagues and relatives.

Authorities arrested the miners after a deadly clash with police August 16, and charged them last week.

Police spokesman Dennis Adrio said that some of those killed in the clash had gunshot wounds in their backs and that weapons were recovered at the scene.

The fatal incident occurred after negotiations between striking miners and mining company Lonmin broke down and police decided to fence in the machete-armed miners with barbed wire, police said.

The protesting miners moved toward police and were driven back with tear gas and rubber bullets. Police said they resorted to live ammunition when protesters attacked, leaving 34 people dead and 78 others wounded.

Thousands of mineworkers went on strike for days last month to demand higher wages in the Lonmin mine in Marikana, South Africa. Earlier, two police officers had been hacked to death.

Tensions have been high in part because of the presence of competing trade unions: the dominant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union and the splinter National Union of Mineworkers.

The mine, about two hours northwest of Johannesburg, is operated by Lonmin, the world's third-largest platinum producer. The bulk of its 28,000 employees work at the mine, and around 23% belong to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union.

Funerals were held Saturday for many of the dead mineworkers.

CNN's Nkepile Mabuse and Faith Karimi contributed to this report.