South Africa's police and intelligence services failed to anticipate and disrupt days of arson and looting last year in which more than 300 people died, a report into the unrest commissioned by the president and released on Monday found. The violence was sparked by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma for defying a court order to testify at a corruption inquiry and fanned by anger over the poverty and inequality that persist almost three decades after the end of apartheid. The government deployed soldiers to restore calm, but around 50 billion rand ($3.2 billion) of damage was caused by one estimate as shops were ransacked and key infrastructure targeted.
President Cyril Ramaphosa tasked an expert panel with analyzing his government's preparedness and reaction. He is expected on Thursday to say what action the government will take in response to the report. "There was a significant intelligence failure to anticipate, prevent or disrupt the planned and orchestrated violence," the report by the experts concluded.
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