Faizel Patel – 15/072021
Criminal expert Simon Howell says riots enveloping the country are signs of economic concerns, social and political frustration magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At least 70 people have been killed during almost seven days of relentless looting, the damaging of small businesses and malls, and more than 200 properties destroyed and or torched.
Three Gauteng community radio stations were also cleaned-out.
On Wednesday, an inter-ministerial delegation visited some of the looted areas in Gauteng.
Speaking to Radio Islam, Howell says there was a failure of intelligence gathering which resulted in the ignition of the riots, looting and general unrest.
“The scale and the speed at which these protests and the looting spread, I don’t think that it could have been predicted very easily. But they should have at least been aware that it was very likely that something would occur when Jacob Zuma was incarcerated. That was kind of obvious, I don’t know why there was an intelligence failure but I sense they weren’t really ready for the type of response that was needed.”
Howell however says it is unlikely that the riots and mass looting were orchestrated by the MK Vets as reports emerged.
“At a local level there may have been some form of organisation, it does seem that way. But at a higher level or wider level it doesn’t seem that there was that much organisation, that there was leadership there. It’s hard to say who was complicit at this point but I don’t think that the MK Veterans would have the organisational ability or capacity to simply arrange a mass looting protest across the country in this form.”
Howell says while the riots are devastating, communities have also been effective, standing together and to protect their businesses and homes.
Listen to the interview with Simon Howell
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